Rising to Victory: The 19th Hunger Games- SYOT (Closed)
by SilverflowerXRavenpaw
Summary: Just another SYOT! I liked the previous one, so I'm going to do another. It's pretty simple. It's already closed, but you can still read!
1. Chapter 1

Hey everybody! My last story was really fun to write, so I decided to write another one! I'm going to slightly chance the form, but the rules will be pretty much the same. The form is more of a guidelines than something that needs to be followed, I'm just going to organize it a bit better. Also, the little prologue at the end here doesn't matter. I'm just writing it so that one person from my previous story can't say this chapter is illegal :P

 **Name:** If you only have a first name, it'll do. I might fill in the last name if you don't, but they might not get one

 **District:** You can list more than one if you like, in order of priority. That way, it your slot is taken, you still get a District you want

Age:

 **Appearance:** It can be a blurb or a paragraph, I don't care. There's a decent chance I'll hardly describe them. Fair warning.

 **Personality:** This can also be a sentence or a three-page essay. I'll try to write it well.

 **Backstory:** I ask for a bit of info, but you don't need tons. Two or three sentences would be great, but if you give me less I'll fill it in.

Reaped/Volunteered:

Reaction/Reason:

 **Reaping Scene:** Reapings can get boring. If you don't want your tribute's first POV to be a Reaping, send in what you do want here.

 **Reaping Outfit:** You don't have to fill this in. If you don't, it's automatically a T-Shirt and jeans.

 **Strengths:** I don't care how many you have, but try not to be too crazy. That thirteen-year-old from 11 is not going to be buff and know how to use every weapon. Also, don't overlook simple things like being small so she can hide.

 **Weaknesses:** You can have many or few, I don't mind. If you do stupid things like "He's too perfect!" I will have him spend so long trying to be perfect that he starves. Other than that, I try not to be too harsh.

 **Family:** You can say everything about each member, or just names and positions.

 **Token:** It's optional, and I might not mention it, but if you don't put it in you almost certainly won't get one

 **Parade Outfit:** Please list some idea. If you need I'll fill it in, but it will probably be stupid and crummy.

 **Interview Outfit:** If you don't fill this one in, I will, but it'll be lame. Like a white dress.

 **Interview Angle:** Please be creative. Not everyone is nice and innocent. I'll accept it, but it's way more fun to read someone who tries to be a clown

 **Games Plan:** Everyone running and hiding makes it boring. I'll take it, but I'll probably pick people off with mutts if that happens.

 **Where they go in the Training Center:** They can go as many places as you want, but the more places they go the less they know about each thing.

What they show the Gamemakers:

 **Training Score:** I take what's given to me. It doesn't really matter anyways, since you're the sponsors.

 **Capitol Scenes:** No guarantee that it'll get written, but it might.

 **Other:** Are they allergic to bananas? Do they like persian cats more than sphynxes? Does the color yellow disgust them? This is where you can put random stuff like that. Again, it might not get written, but it might.

 **Preferred Death:** The odds are your tribute won't win. This is pretty much a consolation prize if they don't.

Bloodbath Plan:

 **Will they die in the Bloodbath?:** Let's face it, some tributes have to die in the Bloodbath. If I don't get enough Bloodbaths, I'll choose some random ones.

 **Predicted Placement:** It might not matter, but if you expect your tribute to get 13th, they're less likely to win.

 **Allying or No:** If you want them to ally, you'll need to get both parties' permission.

 **Fight or Flight Instinct:** Will they run from confrontation, or face it head on?

Random Person Who Couldn't Matter Less

Wow! The Games are coming soon. Action. Drama. Excitement. People will fight each other. Some people will die! The Games are truly amazing; nothing is better. Except candy. Candy is pretty good.


	2. List

**Here's a list! The little prologue still doesn't matter.**

* * *

 **District One Male:** **Uriah Chance (Allying with Careers) NightCat**

 **District One Female: Annika Knight (Allying with Careers) Red Roses1000**

 **District Two Male:** **Chao Chiang (Allying with Careers) Snowstar2**

 **District Two Female: Totsuki Sugihara (Not allying) I-really-hope-not**

 **District Three Male: Twixton "Tweak" Delver (Not allying) 66samvr**

 **District Three Female: Ananova "Nova" Nyan (Allying with Giovanni, Demi, Cot** **è,** **and Denver) Red Roses1000**

 **District Four Male: Marlin Hasvak (Allying with Careers) aceswims**

 **District Four Female: Luna Irika (Allying with Careers and maybe one other) FiresCatching**

 **District Five Male:** **Cotè Fuller (Allying with Giovanni, Nova, Demi, and Denver) Lmklein20account2**

 **District Five Female: Alix Hessia-Rhine (Allying with Nigella) MRKenn**

 **District Six Male: Fletcher Kozlowski (Not allying) Snowstar2**

 **District Six Female: Raze Hirohito (Not Allying) LadyCordeliaStuart**

 **District Seven Male: Denver Crane (Allying with Giovanni, Demi, Cot** **è,** **and Nova) Paperairline**

 **District Seven Female: Falia Oakarm (Allying with Gabriel) Nighttimephoenix**

 **District Eight Male: Giovanni "Vanny" Cancri (Allying with Denver and Nova, Cot** **è, and Demi** **) Platrium**

 **District Eight Female: Nigella Coriander (Allying with Alix) Tracelynn**

 **District Nine Male: Gabriel Welson (Allying with Falia) gameshungerplayer**

 **District Nine Female: Demi Ryea (Allying with Giovanni, Nova, Cot** **è, and Denver** **) NightCat**

 **District Ten Male: Cole Sterling (Allying with anyone) Graywolf44**

 **District Ten Female: Mara Allouette (Allying with one or two tributes) SapphireMoon4**

 **District Eleven Male: Trevor (Not allying) DestroyNotCreate**

 **District Eleven Female: Tatiana Kokolo (Will ally with people who will deal with her) SparkHat**

 **District Twelve Male: Gadeloth Grinsley (Not allying) Hollowman96**

 **District Twelve Female: Tarabel Aspen (Allying) Namelessghoul**

 **Somewhat lenient means that the person reserved more than one spot, so they have dibs but if for some odd reason you're entirely desperate I'll see what I can do.**

* * *

 **Random Person Who Couldn't Matter Less**

Wow! The Games are coming soon. Action. Drama. Excitement. People will fight each other. Some people will die! The Games are truly amazing; nothing is better. Except candy. Candy is pretty good.


	3. District Eleven Reapings

**Trevor (18) D11M**

Each day in Eleven was a struggle for me. Any number of bad things could have happened. I was well off in the fact that I had a house, but it was just me and Pa paying for it. If either of us got hurt, out of the house we would go. Anybody could have been an enemy, so I should always have been on my guard. I had siblings that I should have been taking care of. I had a father that I had to make sure didn't work himself to death. For the most part, I did that. I worked harder than I had to so Pa could work less. People thought I was just into my work, making sure I didn't get fired, but my family knew I could have goofed off a bit more. However, I didn't work myself to death either. Everybody needed a break sometimes, and I made sure I got one.

Lots of the folks in Eleven didn't have a house. They didn't get much food, and they certainly didn't get money. While I couldn't afford to help them financially- almost no one could- I could make sure they didn't lose what little food they had. I couldn't help out often, since if a fight got too bad I could lose my job, but if I felt I wouldn't die I was willing to get involved. I usually didn't have to do much. Most people didn't want to mess with the tall guy who was totally unfazed by threats. Of course, I wasn't actually unfazed, but that didn't mean I showed my fear. A great poker face likely saved me a number of times.

Walking along the streets, I noticed one of the wanderers of the roads. He was young, carrying a haul, and being followed by three men. Naturally, I took an interest in him. Surely enough, the others slowly overtook him, surrounding him and threatening him. I ducked in the bushes nearby and watched, making sure nothing got too serious. For a second it seemed like the boy could have calmed the others with smooth words, but then the fists started flying. The boy was on the ground before I had time to lunge out of my hiding spot. Once I did, though, everything stopped. I towered far above the other, younger boys, and I made sure to hold myself as threateningly as possible. My fists were raised and I was glaring the meanest glare I could manage. The attackers quickly fled while the victim just laid on the ground and cowered. "Are you all right?"

The boy covered his head with his hands and squeaked out, "You can take whatever you need! Just leave me alone!"

Bending low to the ground, I lowered my voice and repeated, "Are you all right? I'm not going to hurt you." The boy slowly uncurled and I offered him a hand up. "Did they take anything? I'll help you out if you need."

Shaking his head, the boy began to gather up his stuff. "I'm fine. I just need to stash this before the Reaping." He looked at me hopefully, and I nodded. I could hold his stuff in our house until the Reapings were done. I would have to tell my father whose they were, just in case, but I would probably be able to return the items afterwards.

* * *

 **Tatiana Kokolo (17) D11F**

The moon was out the night before the Reaping. It was full, which didn't happen too often on Reaping day. It was the perfect opportunity for someone like me to get away for a while. My family didn't mind if I left to cool off before Reaping day, and the Peacekeepers didn't care. Even if they did, I could outrun them. It's amazing what people like me can do in a life or death situation.

None of the dogs were out that night. That disappointed me. They still didn't trust me, still didn't want me in the pack. I was working on that, but wolves weren't very trusting of outsiders. I knew I had to do something to convince them that I was one of them, that I could join them. While I had practiced for months on end without any incentive, my progressed increased a lot once I realized how important my next move could be. I had to find a nice clearing as deep in the woods as possible. More trees would have been nice, many Districts were better than Eleven. However, the lack of trees made it a lot easier to find a nice spot to worship the full moon.

We didn't worship the moon, exactly, but it was hard to find a better word. The moon helped lead us. The moon helped us see at night. We could find each other using the noises the moon pushed us to make. I crouched down low on the ground, waiting for the first howl. It came, quiet at first, the joined by more. I added my own howl to the resonating sounds, amazed at how quickly they traveled. The pack wasn't within sight, but I heard their response to my howl in seconds. They were interested. They wouldn't investigate that night; I could tell just by the way their howls sounded, but they were finally being attracted to me. I cold go back to my home and try again the next night.

When the sun rose it was awful, but I knew I had to deal with it. I slept as late as I could, not wanting to have to deal with more of the dreadful day than necessary. The night would be nice, when the wolves were back, but before then I had to get through the Reaping. So many people were there, and none of them liked me. None of them were interested in an animal; they thought I was dangerous, feral. I hoped I could be if necessary, but I usually wasn't. I knew how to control myself.

The bells slowly began to ring after I had eaten my breakfast, and I made my way to the Reaping center. I growled slightly at the Peacekeeper that took my blood, but she didn't flinch. She just checked who I was and waved me into the seventeen-year-old section. I didn't mind her lack of emotion. She didn't have to be scared of me, I just didn't like havving my blood drawn. It hurt.

Our escort walked onto the stage after the long video about the Dark Days. The Dark Days seemed amazing, since there were so many more trees, there was so much more wilderness. However, the Capitol seemed convinced that it was bad, so the video mostly showed the bad. I was happy when it was over and the escort called the name. "Tatiana Kokolo!"

 _Oh crud that's me they're choosing me. I'll be all alone no more pack they won't trust me anymore._ People came to take me to the stage, but I growled at them. I wasn't just going to go up there. I needed to stay with my wolves. I lashed out with all of my strength, biting, scratching and kicking. The Peacekeepers backed off for a second, but they quickly came back, with a different, bigger needle. I hissed at it as they brought it nearer and tried to swat it out of their hands, but they ignored my attack. The needle sank into my flesh and I could feel myself slipping away. _The pack need to come back to the pack can't leave can't._

* * *

 **First of all, if you couldn't tell, Tatiana thinks she's a wolf. Second, here's the descriptions.**

 **Tatiana:** **She's native american, with brown, curly hair and brown-amber eyes. She also has freckles.**

 **Trevor:** **His skin is black, he is a tall guy with black short hair. He is tall and muscular. The look on his face is always very serious.**

 **Finally, I'm doing something entirely different for sponsorships this time. I don't want to calculating points, so just PM me anything you want to send. I'll allow most things, but don't go too crazy. If you go insane I'll tell you and ask for something more mundane.**


	4. District Seven Reapings

**Denver Crane (15) D7M**

Reaping day was awful, and everyone knew it. However, it certainly came with one big plus. School got out early, so I got to spend some time with myself. I was supposed to use my extra time to prepare for my Reaping, but I didn't deem that necessary. My everyday clothes were perfectly acceptable for the situation the Capitol thrusted me into.

My time alone was spent deep in the woods. I was rather lucky, since I was born into Seven and loved forests. While Seven was civilized and had towns, anywhere that wasn't a town was a forest, where I could go and get lost for a while. While town wasn't awful by any means, all of the crowds could get overwhelming at times. I could only stand to push myself against a wall and watch all of the people for so long without going insane. The forest provided a nice getaway from all that. My favorite part of the forest was the wildlife, most specifically the birds.

Something about birds was amazing. I could never quite place it, but it was true. I tried to think of something, maybe the fact that they could fly, or the fact that they were the only animals with feathers. However, none of those things seemed quite right. The best reason I could find that birds were so cool was that they were birds. Watching them flutter through the trees, I could easily waste hours of my life. The flashes of colors they brought with them were nice, and I loved their calls. Seven had a wide variety of birds, but I knew almost every one by heart. The bluejays, quails, and partridges were particularly common, the eagle and owl much more rare. Each one had its own call, its own mating pattern, its own life. Little by little, I learned all about them.

My trek through the forest blessed me with a view of a woodpecker. Those were somewhat common, but they were still neat to see. It was fluttering from tree to tree, and I guessed that it was looking for a good nest. It had to be looking for either that or a meal, and from my knowledge the woodpeckers would be laying soon. After a bit more flying and being followed by me, it found a tree with a little nook in the wood. I stared at it and prayed that the hole wasn't already occupied. The little woodpecker was very fragile compared to other forest predators. I watched with anticipation, almost shaking while it decided if its hole was safe. Finally, it flew in, and the lack of commotion assured my that the bird was safe.

With a slight laugh, I realized that the bird was likely safer than I was. It had a nice home, some kids, and its freedom. With the Reaping bells ringing, I had to head off to what could be my doom. The bird should've been worried for me.

* * *

 **Falia Oakarm (14) D7F**

Work let out just as I finished cutting down one last tree branch. People in Seven were expected to spend their time chopping trees down, which many people did, but somebody had to make the lumber usable. While cutting branches off of dead trees was a boring and often painful job, it helped keep my family fed, and I knew I could handle it for that. My mother and father did most of the heavy lifting, but I filled in all the gaps. Life wasn't always comfortable, but I didn't have to take any tesserae, and I was forever grateful for that.

The walk home from work wasn't very long. In just a few short minutes I was at my door, hurrying inside to take a shower and still have time to pick the perfect outfit. I probably should have chosen my outfit the night before, like many of my friends did, but doing that had slipped my mind, like it did every other year. I had only gone to two Reapings, and I still wasn't completely used to the idea of the Games. I always forgot one thing, like choosing my outfit the night before or brushing my hair. That was an embarrasing year, and I was glad I hadn't been Reaped. Obviously being Reaped would have been more traumatizing than having a bad hair day, but the bad hair would have added to the awfulness.

My shower wasn't a long one, partially because I didn't want to waste water but mostly because work didn't let out long before the Reaping began. Once I was dry I ran to my room and started looking through my closet, trying to find clothes that were acceptable. I laid all my clothes out on my bed and looked through them before settling on a pale blue dress and black boots. My mother had worn it to one of her Reapings, and she asked me to wear it to my first. I still fit the dress, though I wasn't sure if my mother had lengthened it for me, and the dress was gorgeous in its simple way, so I was glad to wear it. Just as I finished slipping my boots on, the bells began to ring.

The walk to the Reaping Center was no longer than the walk home from work. I smiled at the Peacekeeper before he took my blood, hoping he would somehow find a way to make it less painful than the previous year. I didn't know what I expected, but it stung just as much that time as it had last time. My finger was still sore as our esort walked onto the stage and started the video. Quickly deciding that I could use that to my advantage, I started a race with myself. Could I get my finger to stop hurting before the video ended? The video clip ended and Winnifred went over to the girl's bowl, proving that I couldn't. I watched with some anxiousness while our escort reached into the bowl before calling out, "Falia Oakarm!"

The first thought that flew into my head when Winnifred called my name was, "Oh! Another Falia. What are the odds?" After a couple of seconds, when the Peacekeepers started towards me, my thoughts switched to, "Well frick!" However, I knew I couldn't let that show through. I didn't have time to be shocked before the Peacekeepers reached me, and I didn't start crying. Instead I pretended to be calm and winked at the camera while shaking my partner's hand.

* * *

 **Falia looks:** **Tall, Thin, One Hazel Eye And One Turquoise eye, A Dark Brown, Very Thick Just Above Shoulder Length Hair. Big Feet, Freckles On Nose**

 **Denver is:** **A skinny brown haired boy with large eyes and long limbs. Very large ears.**

 **Also, a little note: Trevor doesn't have a last name. I said in the form it was fine if they didn't submit one, but I didn't decide to make him one myself.**


	5. District Twelve Reapings

**Gadeloth Grinsley (18) D12M**

As a Peacekeeper slowly walked to my door, I started to prepare for what was about to happen. The Peacekeeper was going to taunt me, like they all did. Each one of them said they were just bringing me my measely rations when they wanted to hurt my pride. I was never sure if their supervisor didn't know or if he just didn't care, but I didn't mind. People tended to let their guards down when they were taunting someone, and in my situation, that was exactly what I needed.

My chances of escape were slim, so most Peacekeepers that were smart enough to realize that they were letting their guard down thought they were safe. I hardly got any food, like most people in Twelve, so I wasn't at the top of my game any more. I also didn't seem to have any weapons, while the Peacekeepers certainly underestimated how smart a person who was cornered could get. They all thought they had finally broken the Coal Dust Ripper, making him weak and in despair. I didn't have any coal dust, for one thing. I also didn't have enough time to slowly rip apart my enemies, since a missing Peacekeeper would be noticed immediately. Many people would have given up in my plight. Then again, most people weren't still eligible for the Games.

Sure enough, once the Peacekeeper slipped me my food he began to belittle me. I sat in the back corner of my cell, pretending to be entirely defeated before he even began to speak. The man made jokes about how big and strong I used to be, and how I suddenly had to almost beg for my food. I took my time, making sure I looked pathetic, even going so far as begging him to stop. After a while he opened the door again, probably to kick me and make me shut up. Somehow he didn't realize that my shirt wasn't on. Once the door was open, I lunged from my corner and tackled him, wrapping my clothing around his neck. He was a lucky one. Normally I would have selected a slower death, but I was on a time limit. If I didn't get moving fast enough, I would miss the Reapings.

The Peacekeepers might have let me out of my cell for Reaping day, but they also might have decided that a death row convict like me shouldn't have gotten a chance to escape. I wasn't exactly known for my good behavior within my cell, which was why I was kept in solitary. My last roommate had been found dead, which only brought my death date closer. They only had a little while to wait before I would be out of their hair forever. Of course, that didn't matter, since I was free as a bird.

If I was caught the Peacekeepers would probably shoot on sight, but once I was checked in that couldn't be allowed. After all, there was a chance I could get Reaped. I got checked in, and to my surprise the Peacekeeper didn't sound any alarms, instead chuckling while he realized who I was. He probably knew that I was dead no matter what happened on the stage. Of course, there was always a chance I would win the Games if I was Reaped. Being the kind of person I was, I knew what I had to do. When stuck between a rock and a hard place, I chose to go down hard if nothing else. "I volunteer as tribute!"

* * *

 **Tarabel Aspen (17) D12F**

The mayor's house was big and imposing. The door was heavy wood, and I could hardly open it. Guards surrounded the house, checking who I was before allowing me in. I knew why nobody ever got crimes solved in Twelve. Most people weren't willing to ask the mayor for advice, and the Peacekeepers weren't much use at all unless there was danger to the Games or a possible uprising. I was one of the few people unaffected by the mansion. To me it was just a big house. It was huge, but it was still just a house, and people lived human lives within it. Some less normally human than others, but human lives all the same.

Mayor Anthracite was in his office in the center of the house, where he always was, when I found him. After a quick knock on the door I let myself in, standing in the center of the room with my hands to my side. Any implication that I had a weapon couldn't be allowed, even just having my hands in my pockets. One of my hands was balled into a fist, but the guards had already checked that. They knew that I was clean in that one hand, if nothing else. "Mr. Lignite will no longer be threatening your position, sir," I informed my boss. "I'd like my pay now. My family is waiting."

"Give me my proof and I'll give you your check," the mayor responded. I knew he would ask for proof. If I forgot to bring some, I didn't get payed. My job wasn't one I could report if my boss tried to scam me, partially becaus my boss was the highest power but also because my position was a bit shifty. That being said, I always made sure I had proof with me.

"Mr. Lignite is either half-blind or dead," I assured him, opening my fist and showing its contents to him. One eye rested in my hand, torn and ragged due to what I had done to get it. However, it was certainly an eye, and the mayor had to admit that I wasn't likely to run into one of those without having done my job.

"Your check is on the desk. Grab and it go. I'll have another job for you tomorrow if you're still around." Athracite was talking about Reaping day, mostly, but that comment was also true due to the fact that people didn't exactly like me. It was hard to like anyone that was a killer, and while I did my best to hide my identity, some people found out. My boss had kept me safe so far, but we couldn't be sure how much longer it would last. If I wasn't Reaped, I could be sniped. That thought had stopped scaring me long ago. I was going to die; the only thing being killed would influence was when.

* * *

 **Tarabel:** **She's of west Indian descent, has brown skin with brown eyes and medium length black hair that she keeps tied up.**

 **Gadeloth:** **6'2 in height, long black hair that partially covers his face, tan skin and slim and slightly muscular.**

 **Someone said that they didn't like appearances like this, which I definitely understand, but when I tried writing it in a different manner it was either too little information or too cheesy. You can read through my Reaping scenes in my last story to see what I mean.**


	6. District Eight Reapings

**Giovanni "Vanny" Cancri (18) D8M**

"Hello, Mr. Chintz!" I greeted my customer as he walked through the door. He was my customer, since Dad was working with Mr. Voile. I made sure my station was clean and guided Mr. Chintz to a chair. "Just a trim today as usual, right?" I asked, double-checking although he always wanted the same work done. While some people were very outgoing, Mr. Chintz always wanted his hair done the same way, which I didn't mind. It meant I could get done with him and move to the next customer quickly.

"You know me well, boy!" Chintz replied with a laugh. I wasn't certain why he called me "boy," since I was an adult, but I didn't mind. Making the customers happy was the first part of service, my dad always told me. I grabbed my scissors and got to work on trimming my patron's hair down, just a little bit on each side. I made sure the sides were even, though I doubted Chintz really cared. He just wanted his hair presentable and not obnoxiously long, most likely. I finished his hairdo with one last snip and turned to the door to see who would walk in next. My father was still working with Voile, and in the short time it had taken me to finish my work, my brother, Hector had gotten a customer, but no more people were lurking by the door. I checked with my father to get permission to leave the shop for a bit and went over to my mother.

My mother was working outside the shop selling various food items with Isreal, Jergen, and Karmina. Our family was one of the few in the District that got to work all around each other outside of the factory, the eldest in the barbershop and the younger ones in the food stand. I waved at my sisters and walked over, smiling my brightest. "What are we serving today?" It was a rhetorical question; we always served the exact same things, mainly barbecue. I reached over and grabbed a rib for my lunch. My mother laughingly protested while I stole a bit of her food, and little Karmina burst out laughing at the play-fight. I didn't have long to eat my ribs before another customer came in, but I ate as slowly as I could, savoring every bite.

No new customers came during that day, so I didn't do much talking. My father liked to create a friendly atmosphere, and I hated the silence just as much as he did, but I recognized the fact that most customers weren't interested in pointless small talk. I simply did my job after a greeting and left my customers with a farewell. Every hour after my lunch break was spent impatiently waiting for the day to be over so I could go to Uncle Armando's house. He was hositng a reunion, and it was sure to be chaotic. Everybody would be there, from little Delilah to the eldest in the family, Armando himself.

When Dad closed the shop my mother quickly cleaned up her stand and went home. We all had to rush to have time to get to our uncle's house and enjoy the reunion before Karmina had to go to bed. We all made ourselves presentable in mere minutes before running to the party. Reunions weren't a rare thing in our family, but they were still fun.

Armando was waiting at the door expectantly for us when we arrived. A quick scan of the room revealed that we were the first ones there, so Mom promptly volunteered us to help with the rest of the cooking. I didn't mind, because helping out was nice and because I always got to sample the food. We made all sorts of food, from salad to hamburgers, and my mother made sure to contribute some of our best ribs. Cooking was a difficult task with eleven people crammed into one kitchen once Aunt Petra and her children, Maya and Mika joined in, but we managed to get everything done. When the rest of the family arrived and we set the table, everything was perfect.

* * *

 **Nigella Coriander (18) D8F**

Aunt Phyllis had the best movies in the District. Some people liked her because she had good action movies or adventure movies, and the occasional person was interested in her documentaries, but I wasn't. The library had many interesting movies genres, but I was the most interested in the romance. All of the tightly packed emotions always caught my interest, though I couldn't manage to watch a movie simply about emotions. Actual tenderness and love were necessary in human life, and nothing showed that better than a good romance.

My aunt selected _All My Love_ for us to watch on the night before my last Reaping. I hadn't seen it before, which surprised me. I had exhausted nearly the entire selection of movies throughout my various trips to our library. Even our secret stash of slightly less accepted movies in the attic was running out of interesting, but my aunt managed to procure something new. Just the title was enough to draw me in instantly, and the fact that Phyllis suggested it meant that it must be wonderful.

The movie started off wonderfully, with a man and a woman falling in love. Of course, they didn't know it at first, since they met by chance. Nearly all movies started like that. However, as the show went on, their love for each other slowly blossomed. The woman, who considered moving away to live with a rich entrepeneur, had to live with the love of her life, the main male part, instead. However, the most striking part to me was the ending of the movie.

All throughout the entire show, the man seemed all right. At the end, though, he revealed that he had a terminal illness. He had been hiding it for his love, because he didn't want her to worry, but he only had a couple of hours left to live. When they said their goodbyes it was so heartbreaking I had to cry right along with the characters, sobbing while they got engaged and married with his last breaths. Watching a movie like that before the Reaping had to be deliberate coming from my aunt, and it really made me think.

Every year I had participated in the Reaping I had been a bit like him. I pretended I was entirely fine, when I knew that someday I could just be swept away from my family forever. I was even a lot like the man in the beginning. I always tried to search out love, even in the most random places. My parents didn't fully understand it, and they likely never would. Naturally, they loved each other, but they didn't try and show it as much as I thought they should have. I thought that if you loved someone you should do everything you possibly could to make sure they knew it, even sacrificing yourself and keeping secrets if the need came.

My life should have had a lot longer to go. Being eighteen, I still had most of the world to expect. I was in school, unlike so many kids from Eight, so I actually had a bright future. When I didn't have to work in a factory and let my future fall apart. That was one of the things that made me so happy. I could actually find love, find happiness, find my way through everything. That movie proved to me how unpredictable the future actually was, despite my many guesses. Not only the acting did that; the plot-line was entirely unsuspected even as a viewer. I could never tell what the next day would hold, and my next day was as dangerous as I could ever expect.

* * *

 **Vanny is tall and has medium brown skin. He also has messy dark brown hair and friendly dark brown eyes. He has a somewhat muscular build and he usually wears simple clothing. He has Hispanic heritage.**

 **Nigella** **is one third Arabic, two thirds Caucasian. She has long, mousy brown hair that she usually wears down or in a braid. She has tan skin. She stands at 6 feet tall, and weighs around 145 lbs. She has a willowy build.**

 **Note: Both of these tributes were Reaped.**


	7. District Five Reapings

**Cotè Fuller (13) D5M**

Bookstores were a wonderful place. Used bookstores were the best, partially because they were common but mostly because the oldest books were the best. None of the books I could get my hands on were very old, since books past a certain point were usually banned, but the older books were still nice. They had that lovely old book smell and they were often lined with dust from lack of use. When I opened one of them up, I could tell that I was in a world from the past, one that no one else had entered in a long time.

The book I was reading that day was the oldest I had ever managed to find. _Homer's Odyssey_ , an epic tale of adventure, seemed to be pre-Capitol. It seemed to be from before most of the Dark Days, actually. Each page was coated with dust that I got to blow off of each page, and there were a lot of pages in that book. It was a very easy read, and that made me happy. While a reading challenge could be nice now and then, it was wonderful just to sit down and read something while I could relax. Relaxation was something that had to be valued, even as a thirteen-year old from Five. I didn't necessarily have the most stressful life possible; I got food and shelter, but it could still be hard to find time to calm down.

My favorite book of them all was a book full of Greek legends. It was a pretty iffy book when it came to being legal, but the Capitol seemed to like anything Greek, so they let me read it. I liked to read the story of Theseus and his epic battle with the Minotaur. He got sent off to something where he was totally supposed to die, and even though he was a normal dude, he beat everything and came back. While he volunteered, which I never intended to do, it was still nice to know that normal dudes could win. Some people probably trained to beat the mighty minotaur, but they all lost, just like some Careers lost. However, normal kids could sometimes manage to come back.

Books were nice because they offered a whole new world. A thirteen-year-old boy was supposed to be rowdy, make friends with everyone, and constantly get in trouble. While my older brother, the utter jerk, was good at that, I wasn't. While some people liked other people, loved parties, and wanted to make as many friends as possible, I liked books, loved staying home, and wanted to see how many books I could read by the time I became an adult. My brother said I was a "girly bookworm," but I didn't mind. Being feminine was far better than being an idiot.

* * *

 **Alix Hessia-Rhine (14) D5F**

"Are you sure these are real?" the teenager asked me as I handed him a case. "I'm not willing to risk my neck for anything fake.

"Of course they're real! Just look at the date." The box of books I was offering the teen was dated 2036 A.D. Nothing from around our time was dated anything like that, and nobody was going to risk dating a book that badly in Five. Owning a book that said it was that old was one hundred percent illegal, even if it wasn't actually from that year. The Peacekeepers would definitely say that it was an "attempted act of treason," even if it wasn't treason and even on the off-chance that the owner didn't realize how old they supposedly were. Peacekeepers were jerks.

"All right. Just let me look for a book that seems interesting." That comment I didn't understand completely. _All_ books were interesting. Even if they were books that were information without any plot-line they were interesting. Simply learning that much was an amazing feeling, even if it was useless knowledge that I probably couldn't speak about without getting myself killed. Talking about the fact that George Washington actually rejected being king and was later considered one of the best rulers the previous country had had, or that almost every dictator was despised during his time, inside and outside of his country, wasn't something that the Capitol wanted me doing.

A small crowd gathered as the dude looked for a good book. Most of the people around me were teenagers, dumb kids who didn't realize the full extent of what was being offered to them. Even I likely didn't fully understand what I had, but that didn't matter. I read the books, memorized all I could, and then sold them. It kept my house bought and food in the fridge. Finding the books could be a difficult task, since they were in completely random places around the District, but it was worth the effort. A fourteen-year-old wasn't going to find any work that payed nearly that well outside of the black market.

As the people started choosing some books, a group of Peacekeepers noticed what was going on and headed over. "I think I hear the Reaping bells ringing," I exclaimed, quickly shutting down my little stand. The Peacekeepers definitely noticed what I was selling, judging by their clearly annoyed faces and the fact that they were getting out their weapons. However, as long as I was heading to the Reaping, they couldn't hurt me. I could plan out how to avoid them during the Reaping.

* * *

 **Alix is of** **African American descent, with bright hazel eyes, and light sandy brown hair. Pretty tall for her age, 5'4".**

 **Cotè is small and stocky,and could be described as broad shouldered. He wears glasses and has thick dirty blond hair.**

 **Fun fact time! It was in Alix's form for her to find books around the District. Can confirm, in at least one country (Russia), there are books hidden in various places (around the Gulag Archipelago).**

 **Also, to all those people that don't like Gadeloth because he's an outer District volunteer, he had the best possible reason: He was on death row. He was dead for sure if he didn't volunteer.**


	8. District Nine Reapings

**Demi Ryea (16) D9F**

When I woke up to my mother lightly shaking me, I rolled out of bed and started getting ready for the day. I didn't have to do too much, since I already knew exactly what I was going to wear, but I still had to make sure I was entirely presentable. The customers wouldn't be too happy if I looked messy, seeing as I handed them their food. I also had to make sure I looked decent for the Reapings, but that would come on its own with getting ready for work.

The first thing I did was brush my brown, highlighted hair and wash my face. My face wasn't very dirty, but I cleaned it anyways, just to be safe. Once I was done with that I changed into my diner uniform. It was a basic, blue-and-white uniform, but it was pretty in its own way. It hugged my slim, tan body tightly, and I thought the light blue complimented my darker blue eyes well. It didn't have any frills, but everything it had showed me perfectly. I knew my parents didn't do that on purpose, and I didn't particularly want my body to be shown off any more than it was in that outfit, but it made me feel particularly pretty when I was wearing that.

My trip to the diner wasn't a long one, seeing as my family owned it and we lived right beside it. As soon as I entered the diner my mother called me to the counter where I received a plate of food with numbers on top. It was still early enough that people were pouring in for breakfast, so I had to constantly stay on my toes to make sure all the customers were happy. Each time I managed to empty my tray of orders I was handed another. The people were really hurrying in and out of the diner, as I could tell by the fact that I served way more people than our diner could hope to hold. All of the smells of the food made me eager for the lunch break I would get to take just before the Reaping. We served up eggs, ham, and even some bacon. Only the richest people could afford bacon from us, and we couldn't even sell it every day due to its high price.

What we served for breakfast that I wanted most, though, was the pancakes. Our cook, my father, had managed to make them even fluffier than normal, and I desperately wanted to bite into a stack of some. I had missed out on breakfast in my hurry to get ready, and would have given anything for an earlier break than I usually received. However, I had to just keep on working throughout all the long hours of my shift as the customers came and went, slowly waiting for 12:00 to roll around.

* * *

 **Gabriel Welson (16) D9M**

Reapings were no big deal. My name wasn't going to get called. The odds were, like, a million billion to one. All of those thoughts were lies I told myself, repeatedly throughout all of Reaping day. The second one wasn't too much of a lie, but it wasn't necessarily true either. The odds of me getting Reaped were as high as anybody else's, and higher than a lot of them. I was sixteen, and I wasn't exactly rich. Almost nobody in Nine was above taking tesserae, and I didn't have any more money than the average citizen.

Flora walking onto the stage was also no big deal, just like the video ending and me finally having to watch as she reached into the bowl. I was close enough to the stage to hear the paper crinkle in her hands and feel just how much fate each slip held. I had long forgotten how many times my name was in that bowl, but it didn't matter in the end. Whether you had a thousand slips or one, it was only whether or not your name was called that mattered in the end. The one thing that finally happened that I couldn't at least pretend to lie to myself about and say it was nothing important was the fact that she called my name.

Huge pressure built inside my chest, my stomach, my head, and everywhere else. I felt like I was either going to throw up or faint. I could tell that everyone in the crowd was staring at me, preparing for the last time they would get to see Gabriel Welson. I knew they were all likely wise to prepare, since I certainly wasn't going to be the biggest threat in the Games. The Careers would be taking that position, as they always did.

Slowly, I walked up to the stage. I knew I had to try to pretend to be confident for the sponsors, but I couldn't stop myself from breathing heavily, and I kept my eyes glued to the ground. I went through all the motions the tributes were supposed to, shaking the other tribute's hand and all the showy stuff, while trying to shove some random thoughts in my head to calm myself down. _I hope this shirt complements my dark hair. You're probably going to die. At least my brown hair matches my brown eyes. Stylists will be able to work with that. Not that sponsors matter once you DIE. Maybe you'll be a potato, you're tan enough for that and everything works. Potatoes give life, which you won't have much longer._

As is likely clear from my thought process, I knew I didn't have much longer to live. Nine didn't have a Victor yet, and they probably weren't going to get one. We simply weren't the strongest District. However, nothing could have stopped me from doing everything I could to ensure I was the first.

* * *

 **I tried to slip the appearances into this chapter a bit more smoothly than just an author's note. Please tell me in the reviews if you liked how I did it so I know if I should continue attempting.**

 **Also, a little note for the last chapter: Alix understands what she reads. She doesn't understand how someone could find a book uninteresting. I was trying to portray that but obviously didn't do very well.**


	9. District Three Reapings

Twixton "Tweak" Delver (12) D3M

History class was boring. All school classes were boring, actually. That was why I could never be bothered to go to them. While all the other kids were sitting in a classroom, staring at a whiteboard or sometimes a fancy computer screen and learning lessons, I got to spend my time outside of class, doing whatever I wanted. I could have been playing outside, or making some amazing new technology, but that wasn't what I wanted to do. Usually what I wanted wasn't what most boys considered fun, but it was definitely fun for me.

Everyone hated the staircase at school. It was old, rickety, and you could get sent underneath it as a punishment. It was dark in there, and always dead silent. Summed up, it was exactly what a Twixton Delver liked to spend his time in, especially when said Twixton was spending his time reading a nice fairy-tale book about dungeons and princesses. The staircase set the mood for a dark monster kidnapping a pretty princess perfectly. Obviously my book wasn't what most people would consider masculine, but it was actually incredibly interesting. Each page was full of adventure and excitement, even though it was a heroine and not a hero.

Time flew much more quickly than I expected, and the bell rang before I realized it had been ten minutes. A bunch of kids went past me, but almost none of them noticed me in my hiding place. One group of girls noticed me and laughed at me, but I didn't have to worry about them. As little as they cared for me and my less than approved of habits, I knew they weren't snitches. I wouldn't have to leave my spot because of them.

Few people in my school realized it, but hours flew by when an individual read a book. After the first bell rang I had a decent feeling for the passing of time, so I knew when the end of the day was coming. That meant nothing to me, since I would stay in school for the entire day and night if I was allowed. However, after a while a teacher finally found me and shooed me out of my spot. Grumbling, I slid my sunglasses over my brown eyes and slowly got up. I had to leave if a teacher told me to, since they could easily force me if I didn't.

Once I left the school, I hurriedly walked back to my home to get out of the light. While light wasn't the worst thing in the world, it was up there. People were attracted to light, and I didn't like people, so I didn't like light. My skin showed it, being extremely pale due to lack of sunlight and any ability to tan. That made my hair a much more stark contrast than it could have been, the dark brown and almost black being the most jarring thing that could possibly happen. However, that wasn't the only reason I hurried home. True to form, a boy met up with me before I could make it back to safety. He called me "Tweak," my despised nickname, and even had the nerve to trip me. I didn't mind being tripped; it was a fact of life. I minded that fact the he deliberately tripped me into a mud puddle, where despitemy best efforts, my favorite book got drenched.

* * *

 **Ananova "Nova" Nyan (15) D3F**

 _My fingers flew over the keys, making sure to hit each one the right amount of times. The smallest thing could ruin it entirely, and I didn't want that to happen. Most people wouldn't have been able to tell, but I would, and it would ruin my performance for the rest of the night. One wrong note in a song would throw the player off entirely, especially if they used as much muscle memory as any good piano player would._

 _Notes from ivory spread through the entire room, B, A, G#, A, C. Quietly and loudly, switching off with every repeat. The music was in front of me, but I had long since stopped using it. You couldn't play Rondo Alla Turca well at all if you still needed the music. One time I hit the key to hard; it banged onto the piano with a harsh clack. All I could do was pretend that it hadn't happened, the listeners probably couldn't tell._

 _The hardest part was coming up fast. All of the complicated chords and octaves would have thrown me off a short week ago, especially with the switch between piano and forte, and the turning from adagio to allegro. I had practiced a lot during those few days, though, and now the keys could fly just as fast as they were supposed to without me having to even glance down to position my fingers._

 _When I finally finished my song with three final, dramatic chords, the crowd all applauded. Twelve-year-old me had finally managed to entirely impress all of the mayor's fancy, high-class friends. Some adults couldn't do that, but Rondo Alla Turca was sure to impress anyone. Tales from Hungary took some effort to sound fancy, but Rondo sounded fine on its own. I just had to be there and hit most of the right notes._

Hitting most of the right notes should have been easy. I could still recite all of the notes on my own with ease, making a clear picture of the music in my mind. Rondo wasn't a challenge at all anymore; even Tales from Hungary was easy once I had practiced enough. Even with all of the confidence that I should have had, as I sat with my fingers hovering above our beautiful piano, all I could do was stare at the keys. I desperately wanted to play something amazing, but I couldn't anymore.

The piano offered good songs. It no longer offered any joy, any calmness. When my teacher passed away, all the fun left from the instrument. It had once been a sign of accomplishment and pride, but it soon became a sign of mourning. Black was a good color for that awful, amazing instrument. It looked pretty from afar, but I knew it wasn't anything good anymore. It never would be. I stared at the keys, trying to play but also holding myself back. Such conflict didn't make any sense in a human body, but that was how it was. Finally, after a long five minutes of just staring, I gave up. The side of my will that told me to leave behind my grandmother's instrument and all its depression won, like it always did. I had to prepare for the Reaping, I told myself. I knew that I wouldn't have played no matter what, but I didn't want to admit that to myself just yet. That realization could wait.

* * *

 **Nova's POV didn't offer me the best chance to slip in an appearance, so here it is:** **Nova has chest length black hair, which is thick, wavy and knotty. She has almond-shaped hazel eyes framed by long eyelashes. Her face is heart shaped and splattered with freckles. She has a button nose and olive skin. She is 5'7", of average height for a girl her age. Nova is lean and skinny. She usually wears clothes such as hand-me-down skirts and dresses from her mother, because they are about the same height and can fit into each other's clothes.**

 **If anybody tries out the notes I wrote, they're the first few notes to Rondo Alla Turca. They appear in about eight places throughout the song due to tons of repeats and other stuff.**


	10. District Four Reapings

**Marlin Hasvak (18) D4M**

Andres appeared on the screen as soon as I turned on my TV. The little punk was lying face-down on the ground, in the mud, pretending to be dead. He thought it would work and I knew it would. I had seen that tape enough times to know just how well it worked. I only watched it so I knew what not to do. I always crushed me as soon as he moved.

Even though I had seen the tape enough times that I easily could have reenacted it all, I got tense once Serena walked over to the outer District tribute. I breathed heavily while he grabbed a weapon, and I moved around worriedly while the entire battle raged on. Some people said Serena was a disgrace since she lost to an outer District scum, but I knew that that wasn't it at all. He was a low, dirty, cheater. Some deception was allowed, but he had used every dirty trick in the book. He didn't have the honor Careers were supposed to have at first. He didn't deserve to even get to fight against a Career.

Flicking the television off, I went to pick some flowers. It was a monthly hing I did to honor my sister, and it was likely the last year I would do it. If I lost the Games I wouldn't be able to, and if I won I had brought all the honor to my sister I possibly could have. It was my last year, and I intended to spend it well. Everything had to be just perfect for this probable final act of honor.

Only certain flowers would do for my boquet. I could never use pink, since she hated that color. Blue was the best type of flower, since it was the color of the sea, but I often used yellow because it was sunny, like she used to be. Each flower had meaning and thought in it, either due to the number of petals or the color or the shape. It wasn't the most picturesque boquet, but it was exactly what fit my sister.

Once all of the flowers I could think of had been gathered, I slowly marched over to the stone marked, "Serena, fallen tribute, R.I.P." It was in its own spot where it belonged, by the side of the sea only we ever visited. She had a different tombstone in the normal graveyard, but that was where our family went. It was where her real body should have been.

After I set the flowers down where they always went, on the center of the makeshift area we had, I sat down and began to talk. Of course, I wouldn't get a response, but I did all I could to keep the memory of Serena alive. "Hey, Serena. Nice to see you again. It seems like it's been forever since I visited you. I'm sorry you died." It was blunt, but it was true. "You didn't deserve that, and you still don't. I'm not going to die, though. All right, that sounds conceited, but I mean that I've done research so I know what not to do. I'm going to win for you, like you were supposed to win for our other siblings. Either I'll bring back your pride or I'll join you forever."

* * *

 **Luna Irika (18) D4F**

The Academy was a great place to learn how to fight and run, as well as handling weapons. It offered all the information known to man on how to strategize, hold yourself, and intimidate. Not all of the Careers were nearly as scary as they made themselves look; the Academy told them exactly what to do to look that scary. If you were in the Academy, you could be sure that there would never be a dull moment; every moment would be packed with knowledge.

For that reason, I didn't intend to go to the Academy that day. As fun as the Academy could be at times, it was a high-stress situation. If I ever wanted a chance to be a human and not some trained machine, I had to ditch. Ditching took planning weeks in advance, since my mom couldn't know that I had missed a day. I had friends set up to lie for me, and I sometimes even managed to make sure the teachers would fake where I was. Even the teachers had to admit that a kid needed a break sometimes, just not always. Since I rarely took breaks, they were willing to help me out on the rare occasion that I decided to play hooky.

When I chose to skip the Academy, it was my final day before volunteering. As I said, I needed to plan weeks in advance, and I barely knew I was volunteering by the time I needed to begin preparing. My last day was my only option to skip, but it was also the optimal day. When I could have spent my final hours in Four as a normal trainee training, I instead got to spend the day with a couple of my friends, playing with each other on the beach. Of course, we went to the worse side of the beach, where my mother wasn't as likely to see me, but it was still a lovely beach.

Mineral, Aqua, and Glow were my chosen posse for the day. They were my closest friends, so it was only natural that I would want to spend some time with them. They all congratulated me like they were supposed to when I was the chosen volunteer, but they knew how it was on the inside. I was the best fighter for the year, but only because my mom made me train as much as possible. I could run well, but only because I always did that instead playing games. If it wasn't for my mom I would have stayed in Four, and they knew it. They were happy to spend my last day with me pretending that nothing exciting was happening later, and I was glad for it. "Hey Aqua, betcha I can skip this stone farther than you can!"

"Can not!" Aqua replied, jokingly indignantly. That started a stone skipping competition amongst the entire group. While Aqua tried to use "form" and "skill," I just found good rocks and did my best. As it turned out, a good rock was more important than skill, because I could skip my rock the farthest. Each of my rocks skipped farther than the last, until one managed to make it to the horizon. I watched as it slowly left my field of vision, wishing that I could have followed it all the way.

* * *

 **Luna:** **Olive skin tone, wavy dirty-blond hair, turquoise eyes. She is 5'7"**

 **Marlin** **has sandy blonde hair that he likes to keep in a buzz cut because of the hot weather in 4. He has greenish blue eyes like most people in his district. He stands at about 5'7 and has toned muscles from training in the academy. He suffers from resting grumpy face.**


	11. District Ten Reapings

**Mara Allouette (15) D10F**

Each morning on the farm held its own surprises. I could be doing anything from feeding horses to cleaning poop off the side of the barn. I didn't much mind either after so long doing both, but I preferred feeding the horses. Each horse had a personality, and I could talk to them freely, not that they ever responded. All the crud I cleaned off of the barn was just a bunch of inanimate objects.

On Reaping day, as always, I was exempt from cleaning up the barn. I had to do chores, but I got to choose which chores I did. Of course, I always chose brushing and feeding the horses, since that was the best possible chore on the farm. My sister was always sore that I got to do that, but she had already had her six years of choosing. I was only halfway done with mine. That was probably one of the reasons that Kaleria hated me so much, but it definitely wasn't enough of a reason for all she did, even coming from her.

The one thing on the farm that had stopped being surprising was my sister. She always did her chores as fast as possible, making sure that I was done after she was. I made that a bit easier than normal on Reaping days, since I spent a lot of time petting my horses. As soon as she was done, she rushed over to annoy me. She could do a lot of things, but I could usually tell what was coming by the way she held herself. For instance, when she stormed into the barn, hunched over and glaring, like she did that day, I knew she was going to taunt me and probably annoy the horses.

Sure enough, the first thing Kaleria did when she reached me was to pull my hair and tease me. "Hey, buttface! Why are you taking so long to do your chores? You're always sooo slow! Is it just your actions or is your brain included?"

The best route of action I could have taken would likely have been to keep quiet and take it. Odds are, she would have gotten bored and left me alone. However, I wasn't really that kind of person. "Haste makes waste," I replied calmly before adding, "and it takes one to know one."

"That's a dumb comeback," Kaleria retorted. "Why don't you make something new? Or are you entirely incapable of even that?"

While Kaleria was correct, I wasn't about to admit that. "If somebody thought enough of it to use it, and then it stayed around until now, it must be good. You still use the Pythagorean theorem, right?"

"The Pythagorean theorem is a math formula that has been proven right repeatedly. There is no solid evidence that it 'takes one to know one,' as you so eloquently put it. Anyways, you are a buttface. Everything about you proves it, from your dumbness to your slowness."

"That doesn't make me a buttface, even if it was true!"

"Fine then. Your ugliness makes you a buttface." She stuck her tongue out at me while she said that, and it was upsetting, even though it was immature.

Just then my brother, Dani walked in, and I turned to see what he was going to say. He had definitely heard what had happened, and I thought maybe he would actually defend me for once. To no great surprise, he just ducked in and grabbed something before leaving without a word. I knew Dani didn't hate me; he just didn't want a fight.

Kaleria looked at me, smirking, before turning and leaving when Dad called her to him. I sighed and turned to Cornette, my favorite of the horses, petting her while explaining exactly what had happened. I told her all the details, from how much of a jerk Kaleria was being to the fact that Cheyenne, my friend, would have helped more than my brother. I could say anything I wanted to Cornette without any consequences, since she couldn't talk. That didn't mean she couldn't listen.

* * *

 **Cole Sterling (18) D10**

Waking up was difficult on the best of days, and on Reaping day it was at its hardest. The thought of simply sleeping through all the stress and worry that that day came with was an appealing one, while I knew I couldn't be tempted by it. I consoled myself with the fact that it was my last year and slowly got ready for the day.

In order to please my mother, I brushed my brown hair. My hair was short enough that brushing it didn't really matter, but my mother always wanted me to look nice. I didn't understand how I had been born with blue eyes and brown hair; brown eyes seemed to make more sense. I didn't mind my odd eyes, though. My mother said they made me handsome, while she was likely lying to make me happy, and I thought they were a nice change from what was often expected.

After getting dressed in a white polo and my nicest khakis, I went downstairs to have breakfast with my family. My father was cooking while my mother set the table, and I helped her finish up. Cristina and Rachel, my sisters, made their way downstairs just as we finished setting. My father served us all some eggs and bacon, which was incredibly rare, and I knew they were quietly celebrating Cristina and my last Reaping. I smiled my thanks as I was given some extra bacon, before slipping it to my younger sibling. Judging by her longing glance, she clearly wanted it more than I did. I ate my breakfast slowly, savoring every bite, before swallowing it down with a glass of milk and leaving to walk with my friends.

Leo and Bella, my best friend and girlfriend, were waiting for me in town when I got there. They smiled and waved when then saw me, and Leo and I both congratulated each other on almost making it through all of our Reapings. Bella congratulated us too, but we couldn't congratulate her just yet. She would be leaving the Reapings pretty soon, but she had a year longer than we did.

Walking through the town was a daily thing with my friends, as well as something we did each Reaping day. It was nice and calming to be able to just walk around town and talk. I usually brought a bit of money, so we could buy a snack, and then we would just talk. We talked about everything, sometimes important things like our future, but more often random things like why chocolate cake was superior to vanilla. Somehow, we always ended up curled over with laughter, usually due to random inside jokes, such as me offering Bella a root beer. She once laughed so hard she snorted root beer at my party, and if I ever did manage to get her to drink root beer, just the memory probably would have caused her to snort again.

Parting to check into our spots was a bitter experience, but the tolling of the Reaping bells meant we had to. I hugged Bella before she checked into her section, then got my finger pricked and walked with Leo to our section. I could see Bella while I waited for the Reapings to be done, but she payed no attention to me; she was distracted waiting for the escort to walk on stage. With any luck, her slip of attention wouldn't matter. I would probably get to spend many more years with her.

* * *

 **Demi has tanned skin and straight brown hair with light highlights. She has dark blue eyes and is about 5'4 and 110 pounds. She also has small freckles near her nose.**

 **I assumed they still used the Pythagorean theorem in schools, even though it's not that important to farmers.**


	12. District Six Reapings

**Raze Horihito (15) D6F**

Entering the ring was the most stressful time of the night. It was the time of the greatest anticipation, when I was unsure if I would be given a fair opponent or someone who could easily destroy me. While I wasn't the worst fighter in the club by any means, there was always a chance that something could happen. Entering the ring was also the most anticipated time for the spectators, since they got to see what kind of match they were going to be watching. They needed to know if it was an obvious bet, and a few easy dollars, or a nearly fair match, which would offer better entertainment but worse odds of making money.

Luckily for me, my opponent was about my size. I hadn't seen her around much, but I hadn't really seen any of the fighters much. It was impossible for me to tell if she was a veteran or a newbie, but that didn't really matter anyways. I would fight her the same way I would have to fight anyone my size and hope she didn't see my blows coming too soon. I wouldn't need to last long against someone like her; a couple of great blows or a basic flurry could likely get her down and ruin her determination.

My opponent seemed more competent than I originally sized her up to be when she dropped into a proper stance and circled with me. The circling was unnecessary; both of us had already sized each other up and in a fight like ours you didn't always have to move. The stance, however, was something else. She executed it well and seemed entirely confident of her abilities, and I was hoping her confidence was misplaced.

The first blow of the fight was thrown by my opponent, which ended up being a huge mistake. She either miscalculated or didn't know how to punch, injuring her wrist as giving me a chance to grab her. The move that would have been the most proffesional and fair would have been to punch her, but I was in a fistfight. I didn't have time for fair. Instead, I grabbed her arm and wrenched it down and to the side, as hard as I could. She gasped a little, and I understood exactly why. I had had my arm wrenched plenty of times to know that she was in pretty intense pain, and I expected her to give up soon.

She didn't. Instead, she somehow wriggled her way out of my grasp and punched me. She managed to hit me before I had time to respond, but after that, I was at the top of my fighting game. I socked her in the jaw, which was more insulting than painful, before punching her in the throat as hard as I could. She had a good defense, but I had better feints. She did punch me sometimes, but the best defense was a good offense, which I brought to the fight. Every time she managed to hit me I coud hit back harder, and in a worse position. She hit my chest; I hit her stomach. She hit my jaw; I hit her throat. Every time I hit her throat she couldn't breathe for a moment, giving me time to hit her again before she could get back in the game.

Finally, after the melee had continued for five of our ten minutes, I decided to finish the fight. I had been hoping she would drop out, but it was clear she wasn't going to. I hopped backwards from her a bit, giving her a good opening once she moved in. As soon as she started to step towards me, I kicked her leg out from under her. She landed on the ground, her limbs splayed, and I stood over her, ready to stomp. In those fights, anything went, and I had to get her to surrender. Staring up at me with worry in her eyes, she put her hands up and I grinned. My paycheck would be fat tonight.

* * *

 **Fletcher Kozlowski (18) D6M**

The Reapings were a big waste of time. While any of the citizens of Six could have been producing goods or learning how to produce goods, the Capitol forced them to gather in the Town Square and see how was going to fight. The Capitol likely lost a lot of money every year due to the Reapings, but I thought I knew why they did them anyways. They enjoyed knowing that all of the people were terrified, waiting to see what was going to happen, and that just announcing who got chosen on the selected day wouldn't have had nearly the same response.

Every year the same video was played, and I didn't know who the Capitol thought they were tricking. Everybody knew that it was actors, not people, and everybody knew that it was embellished to make the Capitol seem better and the Districts worse. The District people were portrayed as monsters, but outside of Career Districts, we knew each other as the humans we were. The video was just another big waste of time, giving the Capitol longer to instill terror in the children of Six.

Felisha Heart was probably the only good thing about the Reaping, and that was because she provided a bit of comic relief. I wasn't much of one for finding things funny, but Felisha was able to make anyone laugh without even trying. For instance, when she walked onto the stage, she was dressed as a tire. The majority of the crowd burst out laughing despite their best efforts, and the few who didn't laugh snickered or smiled. Her outfits were a way for everyone to calm down for a second before she announced the death she brought.

Our escort reached into the boys' bowl slowly, letting various slips of paper slip through her fingers after grabbing a heaping handful. She was clearly almost as agitated as we were, excited to know who she was going to get to watch from the District she proudly escorted, but she seemed to be trying not to let that show. She pulled the paper out of the bowl quickly, ruining the illusion of suspense she originally created, and called out the name on the slip. "Fletcher Kozlowski!"

Nobody cried when I was Reaped. Except for Jen, my fiancee, gasped, but nobody screamed; nobody shrieked their defiance. Of course, I didn't expect them to, but that didn't stop the fct that they didn't. I walked up to the stage, not letting my face show worry, but not showing determination either. What were the odds that I would finally get Reaped after all the time I had managed to stay safe? My brain couldn't process the new information as fast as the actions around me happened, always getting stuck on the sound of Felisha's voice as she called my name, even as I joined hands with my District partner and raised them above my head.

* * *

 **Fletcher:** **He has the standard boxer body. Broad shoulders but a clipped waistline, with stunningly sculpted abs and large pecs. Forearms and biceps are defined and prominent. He has shortly trimmed black hair with a bit of stubble on his chin and cheeks. Green eyes.**

 **Raze:** **Asian. Shiny black shoulder-length hair she keeps in a scrunchie. Light brown eyes. 5'6", 140 pounds (mostly muscle). Has a crooked nose and a missing front tooth, plus a scar by the left corner of her lip. Has a steely gaze and a fierce demeanor. She tends to walk leaning forward with her hands tight by her side. She is very muscular, most noticeably around the arms and upper back.**

 **I appear to have made a mistake with Mara's appearance! Thanks for pointing that out, and here's her** _ **real**_ **appearance: Mara has d** **ark, straight brown hair that goes down to the underarms. Brown eyes with green flecks in them. Light brown skin. Generally wears work clothes, such as overalls and plain shirts.**


	13. District Two Reapings

**Chao Chiang (18) D2M**

"Chao, are you prepared to become the Carrier?" Those were the words that changed my life forever. My response helped too, but my family knew that I wouldn't reject the honor of being Carrier as soon as the words passed from my grandmother's lips. Even though I wasn't old enough to entirely understand what was going on at the time; sixteen is too young to comprehend everything you've been taught, I knew that that offer was a big deal I should certainly accept.

Being the Carrier of the Memories was a hard task for anyone. I didn't know why my grandmother chose me for the task, despite how little I knew and how unprepared I was. She could have chosen anyone, my dad, my mother, even, but she chose me. Every day in training I strived to become what she needed from me, but it was hard to believe that I could possibly achieve her hopes. The Carrier had so much to learn, so much to memorize, so many ways they had to act, how could I perfect them all?

During my first year of training it was hard to remember things, but I was quickly growing. Now that it had been two years, I could tell my grandma was starting to become truly proud of me as I worked on my Karate. I couldn't spar my grandmother very often, but I could spar my father, who also learned Karate from my grandmother. We had almost the exact same style due to similar training, so we had to always think ahead to have any chance at winning the battle.

My father moved towards me quickly, almost managing to grab my arm before I turned away. That left him with an easy way to hit my side, but he knew me well enough to avoid that. Had he attacked my side I would have had ample time to grab _his_ arm and throw him to the ground. Instead, he aimed for my throat, likely aiming for the pressure point there. I ducked down and kicked his legs out from under him, hardly managing to keep my balance. He stumbled but didn't fall, and managed to punch me once before I regained proper stance.

Our fight had been going on for nearly half an hour, always somehow returning to a stalemate. Neither of us could advance very well on each other, until one of us got an idea that we thought was new. Usually it was a bit predictable, but obviously we had managed to hit each other a few times. I decided to try something entirely unexpected in a fight like ours, clearly showing my moves before I did them. True to my expectations, my father dodged the attacks that should have come instead on the attacks that came, and I managed to get him down. I bowed, showing respect for my opponent, before turning to my grandmother to see her response. She bowed to me before leaving the room, giving my time to contemplate my fight, and help my father back up.

* * *

 **Totsuki Sugihara (16) D2F**

The time was finally at hand. The Academy was finally preparing to choose its volunteer, and for once, I was entered in the competition. I had no way of knowing what the competition would be; it would be a test of skills, but which ones? The Academy tried to throw something random at the participants each year, sometimes trying out luck, sometimes testing survival. Everybody favored the challenges that involved fighting, since they assumed that would be the most important part of any Games, but there was always the possibility that it would just be whoever could start a fire the fastest.

Naturally, I had to look presentable. A Career had to be able to put on a show as well as fight, and audiences preferred shows with beautiful characters. I wasn't sure if most people would consider me beautiful, but I would do everything I could to improve my chances of that happening. I did my black hair the best I could with such a short cut, using a fancier braid than normal on the area I kept long. I washed my bronze snake charm over and over again, trying to make it look new despite its age. I put a little bit of concealer on, using the lightest shade the District had to match my somewhat fair skin. I also made sure to choose an outfit that would accentuate my thinness and figure, selecting a tight outfit, though making sure I could still move in it.

When I reached the Academy after my walk there, I checked the clock to realize I was a couple minutes early. That was a good thing; the Academy hated it when people were tardy, and being on time was considered trying to be too perfect. That meant I had to wait a couple of minutes for the challenge to be announced, but once it was, I was the first one there. I walked proudly up to my trainer and stood by her, listening carefully to the challenge instructions. "Each of you will be assigned an opponent. One of us will watch you and grade you, and whoever earns the most points will be our volunteer. Winning isn't necessary; we're judging skill and thought. Your judge will choose the weapons, if any."

The girl I was assigned to was a bit bigger than me, but that didn't matter too much. Bigger people were often stronger, but they were also a bigger target, and usually slower. Our judge, a slim lady who seemed more interested in the fight than many of the other judges, excitedly announced that we would be doing hand-to-hand combat. I let out a sigh of relief when that happened, but my opponent seemed worried. Hand-to-hand was my forte, it obviously wasn't my opponent's. That worried me a little, since it likely meant that it would be harder to show my skills well, but all I could do was fight my best and hope the judge noticed the things that couldn't be shown.

As soon as the bell for the fights to begin rang, my opponent rushed at me. I couldn't comprehend why, since she immediately dropped proper stance and showed no signs of knowing what to do. Even the most basic Academy trainee knew better than that, so I carefully dodged without making any advances, watched the other girl intently. Sure enough, she wasn't that dumb, and she whirled at me smoothly, nearly hitting my jaw. I punched her shoulder while her guard was down and kneed her in the stomach before elbowing her chest, which turned out to be a great mistake. She grabbed my arm and began to wrench it, so I punched her with my other arm. She just smirked and wrenched my arm even farther, so I went with a different tactic.

All's fair in love and war. Everybody in the Academy knew that, though surprisingly few people used it to their advantage. Turning as far as I could without snapping my arm, I dug my nails into the other girl's arm and dragged them down, making sure to use a rough motion to cause more pain. My arm was released and our judge seemed surprised by my actions, excitedly writing things down. The girl glared at me after recomposing herself for a second, then tried to punch my jaw again. I punched her in the collarbone while her arm was up, then brough myself closer to her, getting inside her swing while only slightly upsetting mine.

The judge grinned and scribbled some more things onto the paper, and I punched my adversary in the nose. It broke and blood came gushing out, giving me time to punch her face before she could recover. She stepped backwards, but I jumped forwards, not allowing her to separate us for even a second. I then proceeded to punch, knee, and elbow everywhere I could manage to hit my competitor's body, not stopping until she was on the ground with her hands up. Once she was I spat at the ground and turned to see how I would place, surprised by all of the astonished glances I was getting from the other judges and trainees. "Our volunteers this year are Totsuki Sugihara and Chao Chiang!"

* * *

 **Sorry about the ridiculously late update, I really wasn't feeling it.**

 **Chao is** **very slim and has a refined look to him. Deep brown eyes, black hair that covers his ears, and freckles that dot his cheeks. His features are very Chinese. He's 5'11'' and 146 pounds. All he ever wears are his standard Chinese robes or his martial arts clothes.**


	14. District One Reapings

**Uriah Chance (18) D1M**

Working was an annoying task, but I had to quickly learn that some things had to happen. I would have loved it if my parents were somehow millionaires and I didn't have to work, but everybody would have loved that, and not everybody could be a millionaire. My family was far from millionaire status, so I went to annoying work every day, rather than spending my times on useful things like training or school.

The nice thing about work was where I worked. Obviously only wealthy families could afford to hire someone to work for them, and luckily, I didn't work in the mines. I worked at a house, doing whatever the heck they decided I should do, but I had a lot of time just lurking and thinking. The people who owned the house I worked at were at millionaire status, or definitely near it, so I had plenty of things to admire. My favorite room to look at was the art room, naturally, and I had recently noticed a new piece of art.

The Bayuex Tapestry was a ridiculously long cloth with an epic picture on it. It seemed to be a lot of battle scenes, but there were other things too. There was some pretty lady and some court thing, which were fun to look at. It was so long it bordered the entire room, so I spent a lot of time looking at it. I tried to make each scene last a day, to make sure I was entertained for as long as possible. I was at the scene with a bunch of people in a tent, some people on horseback, and a pretty lady when my master called for me. "Uriah! Please come here."

"Coming!" I didn't know why she bothered saying please, since I had to come there or I would get fired, but I appreciated her politeness anyways. A bit reluctantly, I dragged myself away from my tapestry and moved to the room the voice seemed to have come from. After peeking into three rooms I found the right one and walked in, lurking at the doorway for further demands.

"Do you know how to mend this?" Miss Affeta held up a badly ripped dress and offered it to me. "I'm not sure how it got ripped, but it's my favorite dress, and I would hate to see it ruined."

"I'll see what I can do, Miss." I took the dress from her hands and walked to the sewing room, trying to decide which thread to use to fix the dress. It was a deep green, and I had to figure out which shade of thread best matched the dress. After comparing every dark green in the house to the dress, I chose a spool and a needle and began to sew. It was a simple tear, and it wasn't on a complicated seam, so a few quick stitches fixed it up like new, allowing me to return to the room and hand the dress back in minutes. "Is this all right?"

"Oh, thank you!" Miss Affeta squealed. She wasn't much older than me; I was hired off of her parents' fortune, not hers. "I have more things I need you to patch up, but the Reaping bells are ringing. Please hurry here once the Reaping is done!" The only response I offered wasa smile before I walked away to get dressed for the Reapings. I didn't have anything fancy to wear; my wardrobe likely wasn't worth the thread I used to repair the dress. Soon I wouldn't have that problem anymore. Soon, everything would be better.

* * *

 **Annika Knight (17) D1F**

 _Jade threw a snowball at my head. I didn't mind that; we were having the most epic snowball fight ever to happen. What I minded was that it hit me, despite my carefully built fort and walls. Someone had infiltrated the system. I needed to fix that, as soon as possible, or everything would go downhill and she would be able to attack me mercilessly. If that happened anything could happen, from one snowball to a full-on white-washing. Of course, she would stop if I asked her to, but I didn't want any of the above to happen._

 _As soon as I left my most hidden spot to patch my wall, a flurry of snowballs flew at me. Just like I had, Jade built a huge pile of ammo for whenever she needed it. I threw a bunch of my snowballs back at her, laughing when they got caught in her long, blonde hair. She was my mirror in every way, from the her green eyes to her lean figure to the freckles on her face. I could see myself reflected in her, and it was sort of creepy, knowing that I practically threw a snowball at myself. That didn't matter. She threw a snowball at herself, too._

 _Once I hit her, Jade backed off a bit. She retreated most likely to build more snowballs, but it gave me time to fix my wall. I had to hurry or she would destroy it again, but hurrying wasn't a difficulty when I had all the snow in the world to work with. I patched up the sides of my walls all I could, making them a bit thicker and taller before moving backwards and making more obstacles. A well-hidden hole could give me the victory, and I could hide holes like none other. Before I had enough time to make my fort perfect Jade attacked again, but it didn't matter. She fell into one of my many traps, getting covered with snow on the way down. I pulled her out just to tackle her down and wrestle with her, pinning her down before re-starting the snowball fight. Snowballs fights didn't end._

That was nine years ago, and things like that didn't happen anymore. The memory should have been happy, but instead it was bitter, painful. I should have let her win; maybe she would have stayed home that night. I should have fought harder; maybe a more crushing loss would have made her determined to get into the Games, making her strong enough to fight her way through whatever happened that took her away. I still didn't know where Jade had gone, but wherever it was, I should have done something to stop it.

I was on my way to our bench, Jade's and mine, trying to honor the memory of my fallen sister. Of course, I wasn't certain she was fallen; the lack of a body made sure of that. However, the splashes of blood in our house after the night she disappeared made me suspect that _maybe_ she wasn't on the planet anymore. Even if she was, I had to pretend I was talking to her before my big day, the biggest day of my life. "Hey there, sis. I'm not sure if you can hear this, but I'm finally going to volunteer. Maybe you're in the Capitol or something, but I think we all know that's not why I'm volunteering. If you can't have me, nobody can. Either come find me and send me a message, or I ain't coming back to live with my family. All right, you know that's not true." Everything I said had a response from my sister; not because I was insane but because she and I did everything together. If I wanted to I could probably steal her identity and pretend that I was the one that went missing all along, so it wasn't hard to imagine how she would respond to my comments. "But seriously, find me. I need you. I miss you. Just come."

* * *

 **Uriah has dirty blonde hair and dark blue eyes. He's not as muscular as most boys in One, but is around the same height. There's something else about him, but his submitter didn't finish the sentence ):**

 **Yay, last Reapings are done! Now the real fun can get started.**


	15. District One Train Rides

**Uriah Chance (18) D1M**

Satin showed dislike for me as soon as I walked into the train car. She turned to Extravagance, said, "I can't handle him," and then walked off to talk with Annika. I assumed that was because I wasn't the chosen volunteer, but I had to admit that that wasn't something I expected. Satin was supposed to be this big, strong woman, not somebody who would ditch a possible Victor without a second thought. Sure, I wasn't necessarily the strongest possible tribute, but I still had potential, more so than most non-Careers. Extravagance was much more interested in me, though she didn't show much interest in training me.

"So why'd you volunteer if you weren't told to," Extravagance asked me before even properly introducing herself. "It's dangerous, you know."

"Yes, but I thought the risk was worth the potential gain. I mean, either I don't have to worry about anything or I have so much money my worries are unfounded," I replied, trying to seem lighthearted despite my annoyance. Yes, I most definitely knew that the Hunger Games were, in fact, dangerous.

"Do you even have a plan? Do you have any training? Aren't you worried? Do you think you're any more valuable than an outer District person?" Extravagance probed, treating me like some sort of different species. I scooted away from her a bit on the couch, getting worried that she might decide to start poking me to find out more. Physical touch wasn't awful, but Exravagance wasn't someone I knew very well, and I found it a bit hard to trust a Victor who actively tried to touch me.

"I mean, I kinda assumed I would be in the Career pack. My dad trained me a bit, so I know what I'm doing somewhat. I'm a little worried about the Games, but I want to focus more on the good. I'm probably more valuable than the outer District people, since even if I die I can likely help the Career pack out a bit. I might make some allies outside of the Pack so I have something to fall back on after the split. What do you think I should do?" I asked, trying to make Extravagance stop asking me questions.

"Hm... Well, you should try to have allies outside the Pack, since some of the Careers probably won't like you. Do you have anything that would make you valuable to the Pack? Any way to get sponsors?"

Blood rushed into my cheeks as I slowly gathered myself to answer the question. "I guess I'd be good at keeping the camp clean. I took care of homes in One, so the Careers might like that. And I do know some weapons, just less than what might be nice."

"I guess that's kinda valuable. Can you cook and stuff? Do you make things pretty"?

"I know how to cook, I know basic sewing, I can make things pretty, I can keep stuff clean," I listed off a couple of the skills I had that would mostly seem useless during the Games. "I guess I can spend my time keeping the Careers happy between kills."

* * *

 **Annika Knight (17) D1F**

For some unknown reason, Satin showed deep interest in me. I understood entirely why she didn't show any interest in Uriah, since he wasn't in the Academy, but I wasn't really the top in my class either. I wasn't told to volunteer, but I wasn't told not to. All I could think was that Satin decided she would rather have an actual Career win than someone with almost no training, so she chose me. Somehow, I didn't mind that. "So, what's a good Games plan? Obviously I have a base, but it's not exactly detailed yet."

"Make sure the Careers value you. Knowing how to fight is good because it's valuable and because if you're good enough at it the others might decide that it's not worth it to attack you. Try to get sponsors, since Careers love anything extra, even if it's just a box of tissues. Make sure to hunt now and then, but don't do it too often, since that could mean that you're trying to take kills from the other Careers and gain pride for yourself."

Satin's answers were unnecessarily vague, and simply opened more questions for me to ask. "How do I make the Careers value me past basic fighting skills? How do I attract sponsors?" I wanted to ask a whole bunch of questions, but I had to make sure I seemed grateful for any response I got. I wasn't willing to risk angering Satin and losing a valuable mentor.

"Take good care of the camp. Make sure to show interest in your opponents; most Careers are narcissistic. Always offer moral support; don't seem too annoyingly peppy, but smile and stay somewhat cheery. Seem grateful for any gifts you get; sponsors hate it if you don't seem grateful. Talk to the cameras; sponsors love a good show. A little drama is nice, but keep a limit to it; you want sponsors, not the break-up of the Pack."

"Did you have to think about all of this during your Games, or were Careers less of a thing back then?" I asked Satin, leaning in a bit. I heard somewhere that leaning in showed interest in whoever was speaking, and I wanted to try seeing if Careers really were all that narcissistic.

"Careers were less of a thing back then, but I still had to think all of this through. Even though we were less trained, it was still a life-or-death situation. People have logical thoughts whether or not they're taught it. We didn't understand sponsors quite as well back then, but sponsors weren't as picky back then." Satin left the car after saying that, and I got the feeling I wasn't supposed to follow her, so I just sat in my car and thought.


	16. District Two Train Rides

**Chao Chiang (18) D2M**

Nero didn't seem happy to be mentoring, and he really didn't seem happy to be mentoring me. He muttered something about me not being able to see well, but Shale insisted that girls should train girls. I expected that she didn't want Totsuki to be stuck with him, but I could handle a tough mentor. It wasn't like he was going to kill me. He needed a Victor if he was to retain his pride.

"So, how did you even train? Do you have any training?" Nero asked me, glaring at me. He knew I was the chosen volunteer, so of course I had training. He was just being a jerk.

"Actually, I was mostly trained by my grandmother and my father. They were preparing me to become the Carrier in our family, to ensure that the Carriers remained as they are supposed to," I replied, trying to sound polite but still explain myself. If I wasn't careful I could easily come off as condescending, and with Nero, that would be bad.

"What do you carry? How does carrying things help you?" Nero asked, clearly aware that that wasn't meant I meant but ignoring that fact. "Are you going to carry everyone to death?"

"The Carrier is the holder of the family's memories and stories. They need to know everything there is to know about the current generation and all of the previous ones, in order to pass it down to the next generation. We're also expected to protect the family, so I know a bit of martial arts from my years of training." A bit of martial arts was an understatement, but I didn't want to sound snobby.

"Ooooh such a big deal. Your opponents are going to know a lot more than how to brew tea and break a brick with their hand. You need some serious planning and a lot more training if you want to stand a chance, and you had better want to stand a chance." Nero actually seemed interested in helping me then, and I couldn't figure out why. I hadn't given him much of a reason. "You're a Career, so you have the advantage over out Districts. That means they will hate you and likely ban together to kill you. The other Careers will help out for a while, but they will also hate you and try to kill you at some point. Stay with the Careers, definitely, but don't get too attached to them. Always be ready to be the first to kill. Otherwise, you could be the first to die."

I nodded, trying to remember everything he said. It wasn't difficult; there wasn't too much information. However, if I was to have a chance I would have to act perfectly, so I wanted to remember exactly what I was told. "Thank you," I replied, honestly. "I needed that. What do I do during the Bloodbath?" I asked him, leaning in a bit. By the look on his face, I could tell we were staying in that train all day.

* * *

 **Totsuki Sugihara (16) D2F**

Shale whisked me away from Nero without a word, and while I wanted to meet Nero, I accepted it. I knew Shale had her reasons, and Shale seemed interesting to meet too. I didn't know what she would have to tell me; she didn't exactly have an extravagant Victory. Legend had it she didn't like being a Career after the Games, and I wanted to find out whether that was true. If it was, I would be disappointed in her. Being a Career was dangerous, and scary, but it was still great for us to have a chance to bring honor to our District.

"So, what's your game plan so far?" Shale asked me, sitting down across a table from me. She pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, handing them to me. _Does she always carry a paper and pen with her, or what?_

"I was thinking I could ally with the Careers, being from Two. I would stick with them for a while, slit their throats in the night, and then ditch. I would wait until there was a sign of danger, of course. I wouldn't want the blame for the kills to fall on me if I messed up."

Shale leaned towards me even more, staring at me intently. "If you mess up, you'll die. The Careers will easily be able to figure out that you did it. Try and make a better plan. Your plan didn't stink, but it wasn't the best at all. You need to have the best plan if you want to come home."

I nodded, trying to think of a better plan. That plan was what Careers were expected to do, but I was sure I could think of something better like Shale asked. It wasn't impossible; it was necessary. "What if I learned some plants and poisoned the other Careers?" I finally asked, speaking slowly as I planned while I spoke. "Not arrows, or knives. I could become a provider, then poison the food or water."

"That's more like it!" Shale replied, smiling. "What kind of poison will you use, and how will you become a provider? Do you know how to hunt or gather?"

"Berries would be the easiest to find in the Arena. I could make some sort of nice salad that just happens to have poisonous berries in it. If I found some berries that looked like others, I could put the fine ones in my salad to throw them off my track. I don't really know how to hunt, but I'm sure I could figure it out. I could try to get sponsors, too, and just fancy up whatever gifts I get a bit, again throwing in the berries at some point." The plan all started falling into place once I was that far, and the words flowed from my mouth. "If I got caught, I would show my berries and say I didn't realize that they were poisonous; maybe the others were allergic. It wouldn't convince them, but it might slow them down enough that I would actually have a good chance."

Shale nodded again, seeming to be actually impressed with my plan. "Yeah, that would work. Tell the Careers you'll learn edible plants to make sure that they have food, then focus on both. If they even begin to think that you've learned poison behind their backs, they'll kill you. Also, try to learn a good way to poison the water. They need that more than they need food." She leaned back a little bit, finally seeming convinced that I had a chance. She started to ramble about random things, like which Arena would be best and how to kill a bear. I didn't remember her having killed any bears, but it was still interesting to learn, and I was prepared to listen forever.

* * *

 **Sorry for another late update, I was on a vacation and didn't write in advance.**


	17. District Three Train Rides

**Twixton "Tweak" Delver (12) D3M**

Tellie Cathode chose me as her mentee, despite the fact that I was a boy and boys usually trained boys. I assumed it was because she was quieter than Alesandro, and I was deep within _Where the Red Fern Grows._ It was my fifth time reading the book, so I would have prefered to have taken a book I hadn't read so many times, but it was also the only book I owned. All of the other books were checked out from the great big District library.

"So, what's your plan so far?" Tellie asked me, touching my shoulder lightly to get me attention. "Any good ideas?"

"None." I moved away slightly, trying to read my book some more before being forced to talk to her. I was getting to one of the best parts, and I didn't want to have to wait.

"You don't have a plan?" Tellie practically jumped out of her seat when asking that. "Nothing at all? We need to fix that!"

"Hide," was all I said in return, still sitting and reading. It was a classic plan, but it had worked in the past.

"You're going to need a bit better than just 'hide," Tellie replied, touching my shoulder again. When I looked up at her she put her hand on the page of my book, right where the words I needed to see were. "How are you going to hide? What are you going to learn?"

"Hide. Plants." Couldn't she see I didn't want to talk to her?

"Look here , kid. You need to plan for the Games." I didn't reply to her, and she thought for a while before continuing. "If you plan with me, I'll show you how to read any book the Capitol allows. But if you don't plan with me, I'll make sure that everyone else doesn't let you read."

"Really?"

"Yes, to both. Now are you going to work with me, or not?"

"Fine. I'll hide in the Arena. I'll learn some survival skills or something while I'm training, then just survive while everyone else dies off." That was the most words I had said at once in a long time, and I wasn't entirely comfortable saying that much. However, the idea of all the books I could want wasn't something I was willing to pass up, so I forced myself to speak.

"That's more like it. Now, what kind of survival skills will you learn? You can't possibly learn everything there is to know about surviving in such a short period of time. Focus on one thing or another."

"I'll focus on fire, plants, and insects until I think I know them pretty well. I won't worry about which poisonous thing does what, just what I can eat. If I think I've learned those well enough, I can move to shelters, and possibly poisons. Can I read now?"

Apparently it was clear that I wasn't going to be of much more use, or Tellie decided that that was enough of a plan. "All right. Let's show you the library."

* * *

 **Ananova "Nova" Nyan (15) D3F**

I didn't know what to expect of Alesandro. I hadn't heard much about him, simply that he wasn't terrible. That could mean he was a good mentor or a good person, and I didn't know which I wanted more. Naturally, a good teacher was important, but it was hard to learn from somebody who was a jerk. I tensed myself up and prepared to hear whatever my mentor had to say, expecting the worst.

"So, how do you like the train ride so far?" Alesandro asked me once I sat down.

 _What? Isn't he supposed to be training me?_ was the first thought that ran through my head. It was time to prepare, not make small talk. I wiped my eyes for a bit, making sure my cheeks were dry. "I haven't done much," I replied, trying to keep my voice from cracking. My eyes were still red from the Reaping, and I couldn't trust myself not to cry again.

"Well, let's do something. Do you want real food, candy, or a toy?" Alesandro asked me, standing up and walking to the end of our train car.

"I guess candy," I responded, unsure of what we were about to do. Did he just carry around those three things with him at all times? More importantly, why would he carry those three things around with him at all times?

"Great! Follow me." Exiting the train car, Alesandro led me through a bunch of cars, looking around in each one before moving on. I was surprised at how much he seemed to concentrate between cars; there was only one way he could go except backwards. Finally, he stopped in a big, pink car, beside a deep blue button. " _Push it,"_ he whispered to me, stepping back.

Pushing the button made a screen pop up, asking me: _What do you want?_ I hit the button that said candy, and the machine replied: _What kind?_ Never in my life would I have guessed that there were so many kinds of candy. I turned to Alesandro, and he pushed the button that said "Hard chocolate, soft filling," before clicking on a button that offered caramel filled chocolate. I wasn't certain what caramel was, but I picked one of the chocolates up off of the pile of candy and bit in anyways.

Caramel turned out to be a weird, stretchy orange candy, which was sweet and got stuck in my teeth. It dripped out of the chocolate, and I had to work carefully to make sure it didn't fall onto the ground. I smiled up at Alesandro, hitting the string of buttons a couple more times before offering him a pile. Alesandro wasn't just not terrible. He was great.


	18. District Four Train Rides

**Marlin Hasvak (18) D4M**

Talaysa said she would train Luna first, and I was fine with that. I needed some time to myself to work things out and formulate a bit more of a plan. I hard a good start, but I needed to perfect every detail, down to the least likely path of events. Odd things could happen in Games, and I needed to be prepared for every one of them, both mentally and physically.

Capitol trains turned out to have a lot to offer, as I realized when I got onto the second car. It had some buttons which I clicked, getting bouncy balls, and I proceeded to plan while I traveled from car to car. I stuck away from the other Career cars, deciding that I could meet them in the Capitol. I didn't avoid the other Districts, since they had different buttons and it was good to meet my opponents as soon as possible.

The first tribute I ran into was Mara. I had seen her Reaping, but I wasn't certain what to think of her. She stared up at me in apparent awe, and I assumed it was because I was a Career. She must have known that there would be Careers; she just probably didn't expect to run into one of them. I looked down at her while she looked up at me, wondering if I should say the first thing or her. Finally, she broke the silence. "Aren't you Serena's brother?"

The words stung. They forced me to think about Serena, the fact that everybody knew who she was. They made me remember that everybody knew how she failed, not how great she once was. They also told me that I had to do something to make sure I wasn't just "Serena's brother," though I wasn't certain about how I could do that. "Yeah, I'm Marlin," I replied, deciding that telling her my name would be better than nothing. Names stuck with people.

"Marlin's a funny name," she replied, scrunching up her nose. "Isn't that a fish?"

"Yeah, I guess it is. In Four you're either a fish or a bunch of water. What does Mara mean?"

"I actually have no idea," Mara replied thoughtfully, seeming stunned that I had bothered to ask. "I always thought it was just a pretty name." I wasn't certain of what Mara meant either, but I had some vague memory that it wasn't a normal name. Maria was fine, Mara was odd. "Besides, it's not something as weird as being named fish. That would be like me being named cow!" she laughed, smiling at me.

By that time I figured out that she was joking, but it was hard to think of any sort of good retort if I didn't know what her name meant. "You don't know that. Maybe it means 'idiot!'" I replied, laughing a little myself. I hadn't laughed in a while, and a laugh surprised me. You didn't head into the Games for laughter. You headed in for pride, and I had just surrendered a bit of mine.

* * *

 **Luna Irika (18) D4F**

Why Talaysa wanted to talk to me before Marlin was beyond me, but I didn't mind. A bit of discussion would be nice, and then I would have the rest of the train ride to myself to do whatever I wanted. I was sure the trains would have something interesting to offer, and I intended to find out everything I could in the time I had. Being disturbed would slow me down more than not starting right away.

"My last tributes didn't win, and I don't want to mentor anymore, so I'll mentor a lot this time so I can mentor less next time," Talaysa informed me cheerily. She was smiling brightly, entirely convincing me that she didn't realize how dumb she sounded.

I smiled right back at her before replying, "All right! What's a good game plan?" Like all of the other Careers, and likely all of the other tributes, I already had a basic plan, but I needed to flesh it out a bit before I could enter the Games with much confidence. "How did you win?"

"Try to get sponsors, and don't die. That's how I won." I was astounded at how simple Talaysa thought it was. There was no way she should have won her Games if she was like that during her Games, and she probably was. She likely only got smarter after the Games; people tended to grow after strange experiences.

"All right. How exactly do I not die?" I asked her, trying to keep my fake smile on my face. I honestly wanted to learn how to improve my chances, and Talaysa wasn't doing anything to help. I needed information, not ridiculously vague and useless ideas.

"Avoid fights if at all possible, and make sure you always have food. Sponsors like happy, fun tributes. They like exciting tributes, but if you're too exciting you'll die, so try for friendly instead. Smile a lot and joke around a bit if you want a chance." Finally Talaysa offered me some useful information, although it was nothing I didn't already have a good idea about.

"Okay. I'll stay with the Careers, of course, but if I stay back I can avoid a lot of the danger. I'll have to hunt sometimes or they'll hate me, but I'll do it as rarely as I think is safe." I didn't mind losing some of the pride that came with making a lot of kills; I just wanted to get back home and get back to surfing. Once I was a Victor my mom had to get off my back forever; there was no better way to bring pride to the family, and pride was all my mother wanted from me.

"Yeah! Now I can go talk with Marlin, since you've learned so much!" Talaysa clapped her hands together and I nodded, leaving the room and pondering over what little information I had learned. _That was odd._ It was more than just pride for my family and not dying that pushed me to want to want to win after that. Four desperately needed a new mentor if they were to have a chance at getting another Victor.


	19. District Five Train Rides

**Cot** **è** **Fuller (13) D5M**

Sol chose to talk with me right away, ignoring Alix entirely. That annoyed me, since I would have much preferred reading my Harry Potter book. However, I accepted my fate, knowing that planning for the Games would be important in the long run. I also didn't think that Sol would easily leave me alone, but I had no proof of that. "So, what's a good plan?"

"There are lots of good options," Sol replied, getting out a piece of paper. "You have to find out which one's best for you. Some mentors don't like how I do this, but here's what I'm going to ask you to do. Write your skills and weaknesses down on this piece of paper. Once I see what you think you're capable of, I'll talk with you about the best plan for you."

I took the paper, pulling a pen off of a table beside the couch we were sitting on. I promptly drew a line down the center, labelling once side _Strengths_ and the other _Weaknesses._ I decided to fill out the strength side first, so I had a bit of confidence, and then do the weaknesses. It took me a while to think of any strengths, but I finally wrote down _Can easily hide, Likely to attract sponsors, Likely to attract allies,_ and _Smart._ I chose my words carefully, trying to seem a bit fancy. Then I worked on weaknesses. It was easy for a thirteen-year-old boy to find some of those, and I wrote _Hot-tempered, No plant knowledge, Physically small, Impulsive._ I could tell right away what advice I would likely be given, but I turned to Sol to see what he had to say anyways.

Sol considered everything I wrote down for a while before saying, "Well, you have two options with those skills. The one I would advise is hiding. Get some allies, play with them to get sponsors, and avoid everyone else at all costs. It's safe and it's simple. The one that's more likely to attract sponsors, and will shorten the Games a bit, is hunting. If you perfect your skills- and that's a big if, an important if- you could be a good assassin. It's dangerous, and it's dumb, but it plays your strengths and your weaknesses. You'd need a long distance weapon, since you would definitely die in a fist-fight." He stared at me intently while he said that.

I could see he knew which decision I wanted to choose. I wanted to choose the dumb plan, and I could guess that that was the reason he told me. He thought that I would lose either way; I may as well have some fun. I knew he could be right, and easily. I also didn't care. Hiding was a decent idea, if I could pull it off. It was also a terrible idea, since the Capitol would hate me, and people the Capitol hated didn't win. I couldn't afford to hide. I had to go big or I wouldn't go home.

* * *

 **Alix Hessia-Rhine (14) D5F**

When Sol said that he was training my partner before me, I practically leapt out of my seat and left the train car. Of course, I was willing to sit with my mentor and learn everything I had to, but exploring the train seemed much more interesting. I had heard that there was a library, and I wanted to see how many of the books I recognized, and how many I could read in the short period of time that was allowed. I had until we reached the Capitol, but I wasn't certain how long that would be. It could have been from an hour to a week, but either way, I was going to be reading the entire time.

At least, that was my plan originally. I made it as far as the library before my plan was messed up. I expected to be alone the entire time; many tributes didn't like libraries. However, there was a boy there, who I assumed was a tribute, and he was reading a book beside a stack of books nearly to my hip. He seemed like someone I would like well enough, so I went over to him. "Hi! I'm Alix, what's your name?"

The boy glared up at me from behind his book for a good three seconds before going back to reading. "Twixton," was all he said, not offering a smile or anything.

"That's a bit of an odd name," I replied, unsure of where such a name had come from. It wasn't the most polite thing to say, but I wasn't the most polite person, and where we were headed certainly wasn't the most polite place, so I said it anyways.

"Some people call me Tweak, but don't. I'm Twixton." I was surprised by how much of a response I received for that; Twixton seemed rather antisocial, and I hadn't said anything about books. Twixton went right back to reading after that, but he glanced at me over the book. He didn't push the conversation any further, but it didn't really matter. I already knew what I was going to talk about.

"You know, I used to be able to find all of the best books in the District. Usually I found somewhat normal things, like _Tom Sawyer,_ which is a good book. You should read it if you can ever find it. But sometimes I found really cool things, like _Animal Farm,_ and _1984._ Those were worth a lot, and I could tell why. They were super interesting." Once I had spoken I realized how bad of an idea it was. The train cars were likely wired, and I had probably just gotten myself killed. It was too late for me to take it back, though, so I embraced my mistake and prepared to answer any questions Twixton had.

" _1984_ sounds kinda boring. It's just named after a year." I thought Twixton was teasing me when he said that, though I couldn't be certain. It wasn't the most polite thing to say, but I had already proven myself to not worry about politeness.

"It's about a constricting government," I whispered, leaning closer. "A couple of people fight back, but they get caught, and they get tortured. The government is a bit like the Capitol, which is why the book was so valuable."

Twixton stared at me like I had grown a second head when I said that. "You had illegal books? You could have gotten shot! You could have ended up like the characters! That's a terrible idea, and this is coming from someone who loves reading."

I smiled at Twixton. "You want one, don't you? If you win, just dig around in Five a bit. They're all over the place, and I don't think President Ginger wants to kill a Victor. Be careful, though. Those books are valuable, like I said, and you could get mugged for them. People in Five don't give a hoot about different Districts' Victors."

Twixton smiled at that, and I was very proud of myself. I had gotten the bookworm to speak up. He actually closed his book slightly, and brought it down below his nose. "I do want some. I'll make sure to do that if I win. If you win, you should write a book about all your books you've read. I'm sure you could make a good summary." He had a good point, and I decided to take him up on it. If I lost, which I likely would, many of the books I read would be lost forever. If I wrote about them secretly, which probably wasn't what Twixton intended, I would have a chance at leaving them in the train for the next tribute. It was a slim chance, but it was a chance. I wasn't going to spend the whole train ride reading after all.


	20. District Six Train Rides

**Fletcher Kozlowski (18) D6M**

Doppler decided to work on Raze before bothering with me. He probably decided that she was more shaken up than I was, which was likely true. I was used to being in life-or-death situations at that point. I was pretty much just reliving the same thing I had to deal with back in my District, except I had to actively try to kill at least one person if I wanted to get back home. In the District, I just had to avoid a few people who were actively trying to kill me.

Dying wouldn't have been that bad if it was just me. I had lived a long, eventful life. Most people stated that they had lived a good life if they were ready to day, but I couldn't stay the same. I lived in Six, after all. My life had been full of exciting events, from drugs to crimes. When I started learning how to box, Luther, my instructor, insisted that I could get better and stop all of the unnecessary violence, except boxing. Boxing was usually accepted by both parties, so Luther allowed that. When I was heading to a death match, I doubted just how right he was.

Jen was the main thing that kept my will to live alive in the District, and she was what gave me encouragement on the train. I clutched her necklace tightly in my hand, determined to hand it to her myself and not make the Peacekeepers return it to her. I wanted to put it on, to make sure I never lost it and to force myself to keep her in my mind at all times. Another thing that was just like home kept me from doing that. I couldn't put it on by myself, just like I was always entirely useless when Jen wanted my help putting it on.

Someone else on the train was bound to be able to help me. I wanted to be antisocial and remain in my train car, but not as much as I wanted to wear the necklace. I got up and wandered backwards, although I wasn't certain why. It would have been more logical for me to have gone forwards, towards the rich Careers, and not towards all of the outer-District people who hardly had any money at all.

Both of the Sevens were busy outside of the train car I went in. I wasn't willing to go into their rooms and risk barging in on something important, like planning, so I moved into the Eight train. A girl was there, seeming my age, and I walked up to her. "Could you help me with this?" I asked her, holding out the necklace.

"Sure! I'm Nigella, by the way," Nigella told me. "I didn't have many necklaces this nice back home, but I had plenty of really simple necklaces with a similar clasp. A clasp is this connector, if you didn't know." I turned around, allowing the girl to easily put the necklace on my the correct way. She was oddly unsurprised at me putting on a necklace; I hadn't seen any other boys with necklaces, but I accepted it as her just be friendly.

"Thank you. I need to get back to my train car, but it was nice to meet you, Nigella." I was happy to have my necklace on, and it wasn't awful to meet the girl, but I wanted to get back to my train car to relax. I also had to be back when Doppler asked for me, so it wasn't really a lie. I ducked out of the area, fingering my necklace lovingly and feeling Nigella's smile on my back.

* * *

 **Raze Hirohito (15) D6F**

Doppler asked to talk with me as soon as I got on the train, receiving a small nod from Fletcher before bringing us into our own room. It was a lavish room, and I plopped onto the couch comfortably, relaxing as far as I could. Doppler seemed a bit surprised at my calm manner, but he sat down without a word about it. It seemed that he had wanted to calm me down, which I could have used, but I wasn't going to admit that. Instead, he got to think that he finally got two confident tributes.

"You're Raze, right? Cool name. So, as your face shows, you think I want to calm you down, which I do. I don't often get very strong tributes, and I'm not the greatest at being a competent mentor. What I can do is help you learn about the Games. What all questions do you have? I'll answer everything to the best of my ability, but I won't make any promises that my ability is all that great." Doppler had a lot to say, but I didn't mind that. I had a lot to learn.

I quickly decided that Doppler was a safe acquaintance, one I would grow to like if I was allowed the time. He seemed nice enough, and virtually harmless, which was not what I expected of a Victor. I thought he was going to be a big, strong man, ready to fight anyone at any time. Instead he seemed nice and happy, which I certainly didn't mind, but which definitely came out of the blue. "Would you say fighting skills or survival skills are more important in the Games?"

"Do you know how to fight? That's the main deciding factor. It's important to have basic fighting skills, but survival skills are actually of equal important, I would say."

"I know some basic fighting skills. I know some places that are good to hit, and I know how to block. I know the proper mindset of a fight, to the best of my knowledge. I haven't had the most professional trainers, but I'd say mine had the best incentive." Doppler shifted a bit when I said that, seeming more engaged than he had in his previous relaxed state.

"What sort of fighting skills do you know?"

"I know how to punch and block, as I've said. I know that I should keep hitting my opponent until they are no longer a threat, whether or not they're already down. I know not to get cocky, no matter how certain the fight might be. It's better to overestimate your opponent than underestimate them. I know that sometimes it's important to take a hit in order to get the best hit in. Sometimes you have to not worry about winning, but focus on not losing." There was a lot to know about fighting, and while I didn't know everything, the list could go on and on.

"I'd say you should probably focus on survival skills, then. You're more prepared than most tributes will be in fighting, save the Careers. Since I think I can guess what you're going to ask next, shelter comes first, then water, then food. Focus on a decent shelter, then good water, then decent food. Work your way up to a good shelter, good water, and good food if time allows." That gave me my chance just to listen until Fletcher finally arrived, clothed in a necklace, and Doppler shooed me away so he could talk with his other mentee on his own.

* * *

 **I have one (1) thing I decided to announce. If your tribute is supposed to have allies and you don't specifically request any, I might set them up with allies on my own. As my many "mights" have proven, there's no guarantee anything will happen, but I might just match compatible tributes up. Of course, if either owner PMs me and says the alliance won't work out, I'll break it up.**


	21. District Seven Train Rides

**Denver Crane (15) D7M**

The train had tons of cool things to see. My first thought was to stare out the window, but we were going so fast I couldn't see things very well. I had a vague idea of what the landscape was like, and I could tel if there were trees or plains, but I didn't have a good enough view of things to keep myself interested for long. Instead, I kept moving, going from train car to train car in search of fun and allies.

Fun wasn't lacking on the train; it came in every shape and size. I could summon candy whenever I wanted, or make myself a toy. I accidentally got a potato, which I promptly threw away. What was I supposed to do with a potato? French fries would have made sense, but a potato was just a potato. I could have thrown it at someone to annoy them, and that was about it. The bouncy balls I got and threw at walls were much more fun, especially when I accidentally missed them when they bounced back and the balls went careening off into the unknown.

During my travels I stumbled upon a boy. He seemed like a normal boy, much like myself. He also seemed to be somewhat friendly, so I went up to him. If worst came to worst, he could yell at me. Hurting me wouldn't fly on the train, so I wasn't in any real danger. Best case scenario, I got an ally. Either option wouldn't really hurt. "Hey, I'm Denver. What's your name?"

"I'm Giovanni, but most people call me Vanny," the boy replied, turning to me. "You're District Seven's boy, right?"

"Yeah, I am. You're from District Eight?"

"Yeah."

I didn't know exactly how to continue that conversation. Conversation was hard in general, but I found it harder than some. "You know, we're almost from the same District. That makes us almost District partners, and District partners are supposed to be allies, so..."

"I guess that's right," Vanni responded, smiling. "What's your Games plan?"

"I don't really have much of one," I said, bashfully. "I kind of want to get into a big alliance and hope that no one attacks us. I could help us survive, and I was thinking someone in our alliance would probably be able to help us fight. If we get enough people, we're bound to have a little bit of everything."

Giovanni considered for a second before responding. "That seems like as good of a plan as any. I can help a bit with making any shelters we need, and I could learn any skills I need to learn pretty fast. I'm in."

I grinned from ear to ear. "Great!" I hadn't expected finding an ally to be that simple. It was a logical plan, but that didn't make it a good plan. I left the train car after Giovanni did, excusing himself to look around and try to talk to his mentor. Now that I had an ally, I could focus on more bouncy balls.

* * *

 **Falia Oakarm (14) D7F**

Cassia asked to talk to me right away, for planning purposes. I knew that that was wise, since I desperately needed any help I could get if I was to have a chance at surviving. I didn't know why she favored me over Denver, but I figured she had to choose one of us. Maybe she just flipped a coin. I was vaguely aware of what to expect from Cassia, since I couldn't remember her Games, but my parents knew it because it was decently recent.

"We need to decide what your plan should be. There is no plan that guarantees a win at all. There is no plan that works for everyone. Tell me some things about you, and we'll work on your plan."

"Well, I'm a bit of a sass at times. I don't like it when people try to shove me around, but most people don't. I think if I play that just right, there might be a chance at sponsors. I have a hard time making friends, but I think I should try for allies anyways." I didn't know what I was supposed to say, so I just said whatever came to my mind and hoped for the best.

"That's all good to know, but it's not what I meant. You should play for sponsors, and you should get some allies. I meant to ask for some strengths and weaknesses, though."

"Oh. That makes a lot more sense. I guess I know a bit about knives. I worked with touching up the trees we were cutting down and making sure they were usable. I couldn't do much with a knife, though, since I don't know how to throw. By the time I was close enough that my knife would be useable, they'd be able to get to me. I know how to hide a bit, and I can think on my feet a bit. I'd say my biggest weakness is my temper, since if it flares up I can't always control myself very well. I'm also pretty small, being fourteen and from and outer District."

"That I can work with. I'd say you should work on learning how to throw knives, since that would give you a better range. If you're strength is hiding and your weakness is a temper, you should learn survival skills and try to hide out. You can't get mad at somebody who isn't there. If you want to make kills, they're going to have to be low blows. I would recommend either sneak attacks or poison, since those are the only ways you have a good chance at not being killed."

I nodded as Cassia spoke. It all made perfect sense; I just hadn't put the pieces together yet. "Yeah, that would work. It would get me less sponsors, but if I poisoned people I could get those back. I would definitely have to sneak attack, yeah..." I began to mumble to myself, planning on my own as Cassia called Denver in.


	22. District Eight Train Rides

**Giovanni "Vanny" Cancri (18) D8M**

Elias called me in to plan after I met with Denver. Or, more honestly, Elias finally decided that he had to mentor me or he would get in trouble, and decided to talk with me for a while. I wouldn't have minded had he simply left me alone; I wanted to plan with a mentor, but he wasn't the nicest guy I had met, to put it kindly. "So, what's a good plan for the Games?" I asked him as I walked into the train car. We both knew each other, so introductions were unnecessary.

"There is no _good_ plan. Some plans just happen to work," Elias said, glaring at me from his chair. "Yours probably won't," he muttered under his breath, pretending that I wasn't supposed to hear it.

"All right, what plan would you advise I use?" I asked, hoping that seeming like I really wanted his help would make him be a bit useful.

"One that doesn't involve dying, which is inevitable. Learn how to stab people."

"I guess I will do that. Try not to die, learn a weapon. I was thinking I could practice the sword a bit. I couldn't possibly get great in what little time I'd have, but I might be able to get decent, and I could probably intimidate someone." My hope was that if I gave clear questions, that could be answered incredibly simply, Elias might be somewhat useful.

"Swords are good. They're good for stabbing people."

I had to admit, that _was_ a somewhat useful response. However, I didn't think our session was going to go anywhere. "Thank you very much for your help, Mr. Klum," I said as I got up and left. He smiled when I said that, further solidifying my belief that he didn't want me there. That didn't matter too much to me. I could ask Ember for help, and I had to get some more allies. I would have asked Rybbon, since she had better knowledge of recent Games, but she was busy mentoring Nigella, which made total sense. Nigella probably also wanted fresh Games knowledge.

Ember chuckled slightly when I entered the room. "So, Elias scared you away? I'd be happy to help you out."

"Thank you," I replied, sighing. "I need to know what a good Games plan would be. So far I have don't die, and stab people."

"That sounds like Elias. I'd say you should play your strengths, but that's pretty obvious. What are you good at?"

"I actually don't have very many Games skills yet. Eight isn't the best for that. I'm pretty social, so I was thinking I should get a big alliance and try to attract sponsors. I'm also a quick learner, so I guess I just need to know what the best thing for me to learn is."

"What you have so far makes sense; I'd definitely do it. I saw you ally with that one boy, and I would advise you keep your alliance going. For what to learn, I would say you should fill in whatever your alliance needs, as well as focusing a little on what they learn. The others will probably know survival, so you'll probably end up learning a weapon, but that can be good. After all, the Gamemakers will try their hardest not to let you win without a fight."

I nodded as she spoke, making a mental list of what she said. "Thank you!" I was glad that I actually got to learn something important, despite my assigned mentor's best efforts.

* * *

 **Nigella Coriander (18) D8F**

"I can't believe I get to meet Rybbon Marbroox! You were so cool last year. The Capitol said one of the Careers was going to win, but District Eight knew they were wrong! It's still amazing that you did so well, but you're amazing, too!" I shook Rybbon's hand excitedly, still not fully believing that the newest Victor was going to be my mentor. That didn't happen. Nothing that exciting was supposed to happen to people from Eight. As much as the Games stank, this was definitely an exciting by-product.

Rybbon smiled at me while I stared at her. She looked different than she had during the Games, but that didn't make her any less interesting. She was gorgeous. I waited for her to give me some amazing information on how to win the Games, and she led me to a chair. "Let's sit dow for a while, and we can discuss a plan," she said, laughing a little.

"All right. I'm not sure what the best plan is to win the Games. I figure I shouldn't go on a killing spree or anything, partially because guilt and partially because I'm not strong enough for that." Rybbon winced a little when I mentioned killing, but it was hardly noticeable. It didn't surprise me that she didn't like discussing that, and I was actually impressed with how well she handled it. "I figured I should get myself an ally and try to hide for the most part."

"That is a very sensible plan, but remember, you can only hide for so long. The Gamemakers will send some sort of disaster after you if you get too boring. I'd say make sure to do something a little dangerous the entire Games, like following a tribute or jumping out of trees. Even starting a fire can be a good suspense factor for a while; the Capitolites would be glued to their screen waiting to see if anybody would find you."

I nodded. "I did notice that throughout the Games. Following a tribute would be a good idea; I could even have a chance of grabbing something that they forget about. But I'd have to be really careful. Most tributes are probably stronger than me. Should I work on stealth during training, then?"

"Stealth would be good, but make sure to learn some survival things, too. If you're going to simply survive, you have to be able to. In most Arenas, shelter comes first, then water, then food. Sometimes the order can change, like if you're in a desert. In a desert you'd want to get water, since a shelter can be made practically anywhere after you find shade. Pretty much, learn shelters, water, then food, and use logic on which one you focus on in the Arena."

"Okay. I should probably get basic knowledge of everything, then work my way up to being good at everything, right?"

"Yes. That way you can do anything you need. It is best to focus on those three things until you're good at them, though. If you go everywhere and only learn the first thing about everything, you may as well not train."

"Yeah, that makes sense to me. Shelter, water, food, shelter, water, food." I whispered the order of importance under my breath, making sure I memorized everything while I wandered off into the train to look for possible allies.

* * *

 **District Eight needs a new male mentor almost as badly as Four needs a new mentor. Vanni is lucky that Ember decided to tag along on Rybbon's first mentoring trip.**


	23. The Rest of the Train Rides

**Note: This is a long chapter. It has four times the POVs of a regular chapter, because I'm bored of train rides and want to get moving.**

 **Another Note: Demi isn't always this sarcastic, so don't hate her for this. She's stressed and annoyed.**

* * *

 **Gabriel Welson (16) D9M**

Flora was busy doing something with Demi, so I got to spend the first half of the train ride goofing off around the train. For the most part I just walked from train car to train car, looking at all of the luxurious furniture and decorations. Some of the walls were gilded, which I thought was awfully expensive for a train of death. The Capitol could have fed hundreds of people with the money that it took to make one room look that fancy. I could hardly complain, though. I enjoyed the luxury, even though I thought it was dumb.

Being in the Games was bound to be hard. It was going to be harder than it had to be if I was on my own. I needed an ally in order to have any chance at survival, which is why I went back to my room after travelling through all of the train cars. I had to look at each of the Reapings and decide who I thought I should bother attempting to ally with. I wouldn't have much to go off of, but I had a little bit.

I skipped Districts One and Two, since they were Careers. Their Reapings were always the same old thing, just like Four. Twixton- or Tweak, as the District seemed to know him- seemed a bit too dangerous to me. He didn't look too strong, but he seemed like the type that was about to blow up. Anonova didn't look competent, so I continued to Five.

Luckily for me, each of the Reaping recaps was short and sweet. I didn't have to waste too much time watching hours of videos; each video was only about ten minutes long. Many of the tributes didn't really stick out to me, but I kept a list of possible allies: Cote, however that was spelled, Denver, Falia, Giovanni, Cole, and Trevor. Then I decided to slim down the list, since I didn't need that many allies.

Denver and Giovanni were the first to go, since I had seen them making an alliance, and I didn't want that many people. Then Trevor went, since he didn't have a last name, so he was probably some sort of feral child. I had nothing against feral children, but they didn't seem like the best allies. I kicked Cole out then, since he was eighteen and probably didn't want a sixteen-year-old slowing him down, leaving me with only the Cote kid and Falia.

Cote was from Five, Falia was from Seven. I was from Nine, so Falia's train car was closer to me, making her my first option. It was a random choice, practically enie-menie-miney-moe, but it was what I decided to go off of. I turned off my television and left my train car, heading for the District Seven train.

Falia was sitting in her train car, mumbling something to herself about other tributes. I sat down beside her. "Hey, I'm Gabriel. You're Falia, right?"

Falia started and looked up at me, apparently jerked from her thoughts entirely. "Yeah, I'm Falia. What do you need?"

"Well, we're both from outer Districts, so we could use allies, or the Careers will pick us off. I thought we could be allies. I can offer some weapons, basic survival skills, and some medicine skills. Would you be interested?"

"I can offer a weapon, basic resources, and I can find us good hiding spots if needed. I would definitely be interested; you seem useful and I need an ally. Should we plan?" Falia got up and left after saying that, looking back at me while she walked away. I followed her into her room and sat down on the couch while she sat down on her bed, ready to talk for the rest of the ride.

* * *

 **Demi Ryea (16) D9F**

 _What are we even doing?!_ "Also, make sure to use the proper eating untensils. Eating your salad with your fingers is a big no. We will probably provide you a fork, and if we don't, you should make one. There is no excuse for disgracing our presents by eating them like a slob. Are you getting all of this?" Flora was rambling on about how to get sponsors with personality, and quite frankly, it seemed useless. Sponsors were important, but so was life.

"Yeah, I'm writing it down! Thank you for the information, it means a lot." I tried one of the sponsor tactics out with Flora. I didn't think she could sponsor me, but I wanted her to like me, or she wouldn't bother with getting me any sponsors.

"All right, perfect! Don't be too dirty, either. Dirty tributes are ugly, and we wouldn't want anyone ugly to win. Being dirty also makes you look sickly..." _You know a word that fancy?_ "We want our Victor to be in good health..." _Yeah, right after they finish fighting to the death, and all._ "Being pretty is one of the most important things, unless you're a man..." _Men can be pretty, too!_ "Are you still getting all of this?"

"Yes! I should make sure to bathe frequently. Is there anything I should learn in training that the sponsors would like to see?" I pretended that I wasn't scolding everything Flora said and decided to push the conversation to something slightly more useful. My mentor probably didn't know anything I could actually use for winning the Games, but it wouldn't hurt to have some extra sponsor skills under my belt.

"Well, we like weapons! Epic battles are amazing to have. If you learned some berries you could almost eat poisonous ones, to add suspense, and then not eat them." _Psh. I can do that on my own. It's called knowing that starving to death takes three weeks._ "And get some allies! It adds to your personality, and it adds drama. We love drama. Be useful, too. If you know something out of the ordinary, like rock-climbing or medicine, and it ends up being useful, the sponsors will love you!" _So, do everything and hope for the best?_

"Well, thank you for all of that! I wrote it down, of course. Is there any personality the sponsors prefer over other personalities?" On the inside I wanted the session to end, so I could try and beg a different mentor to help me. Elias didn't seem to be too worried about Giovanni; maybe he would help me. I had to make our session last, though, to convince Flora to help me in the Games.

"Let's see... We like drama, but don't be a total witch. We like helpers, but don't be a smart-aleck. We like leaders, but don't be too bossy. We like calm personalities, but don't disappear. We like it when people are nice, but don't try to be an angel..." _Oh my gosh. Can't you decide on anything?_ "I'd have to say you should choose one major personality trait you have and stress that. We definitely like strong personalities, so just be yourself and hope for the best!"

"Oh, thank you! I'm usually pretty shy, but I can be a bit dramatic at times, so I'll probably stress that. It won't need much work though; the Games are an awesome source of drama!" _I'll have plenty of acting practice._

"Yes, definitely play up the dramatic angle, but don't be too awful. Use logic about when you're getting annoying. Be engaging during the Parade, and get a high score in the Private Sessions. Make friends during training. It seems petty, but the Capitolites will sponsor you if you give them an autograph or take a picture with them." That time I didn't have time to be internally sarcastic. The training information was actually new to me.

* * *

 **Cole Sterling (18) D10M**

Mara was crying up a storm. I wanted to say something nice to her, but she was talking to Bessie, so I left instead. People didn't usually want to be seen crying, anyways. I wandered around the train car aimlessly, wanting to try to talk to somebody but knowing the importance of planning. I ended up sitting in my train car, deciding that wandering was pointless, and thinking about the Games.

The most important thing for me to do was think about a good plan. I needed to know my strengths and weaknesses for that, so I thought about them. It was impossible for me to know all of my strengths or all of my weaknesses, since some things were things you couldn' notice, but I listed all of the ones I knew on a piece of paper. _Strong (physical). Distracted (mental). Can read people (mental). Untrained (physical and mental)._ The notes beside my strengths weren't really important, but they were nice to have written out. I wanted to list as many strengths and weaknesses as possible, but it was hard to know what really counted as a strength or a weakness, so I left off soon after that.

Obviously, I needed allies, so my plan would change as I gathered said allies. However, I could lay down a basic plan idea and basic thoughts to remember during the Games before I got my allies. There wasn't too much I could do, but I intended to do everything I could. Having as much knowledge as possible as soon as possible meant I could spend less time planning once I got the allies I was looking for.

First of all, I needed to worry about supplies. Half of me told me just to eat and drink when I was hungry or thirsty, but the other half told me that I should ration my supplies. I decided to go with rationing, since then my supplies would last a lot longer. I would be semi-functional for weeks instead of fully-functional for days that way, and I would be seen as less of a burden to my allies if I ate less.

After getting the first thing forced out of my brain, the rest of my thoughts flowed. I wrote them all down, so I could see which ideas were good and which ones should be scrapped. _Keep moving. DON'T attack random people. DON'T annoy your allies. Be a little showy- sponsors. Don't be too showy- death._ The paper filled up little by little, forcing me to stop my planning to grab more paper. That was the only thing that interrupted me until Bessie was done with Mara.

* * *

 **Mara Allouette (15) D10F**

"All right. We need to do some serious planning. You're at a disadvantage, since you lived an easy life- don't take that as an insult to your troubles, you just weren't starving or doing hard physical labor- but that doesn't mean much. Tributes with disadvantages have won; Rybbon's afraid of blood, but she beat Minos. Having a disadvantage just means that you need to work that much harder and plan that much better," Bessie told me quickly. She was staring at me, utter seriousness showing clearly in her eyes. I sat across from her, a table between us. Both of us were leaning on the table; our faces were almost touching while we spoke.

My tears made me less likely to be seen as an attractive ally and less likely to be sponsored, but they were wiped off as soon as I was in private. Pity sponsors were a thing, though I wasn't likely to attract any despite my tears. I hadn't lived a hard life, so I wasn't thin enough or ragged enough to seem entirely hopeless. My priorities weren't sponsors or allies, though. A big crybaby wasn't a big target. "I think I should pretend to be helpless around threats, to get them off my back. I do need an ally, though, so I need to show some sort of skill. What should I use?"

"What strengths do you have? Whatever you already know you should stress a bit. Make sure to learn new things, but show off the old, and show it off a lot. Excessively, even. Sometimes being repetitive can be good. Don't waste all of your time showing off, of course, but spend a good chunk talking to your allies about it and showing your allies. Get a low training score, or it'll be clear that you were acting and your allies won't trust you."

I blushed slightly when she told me to get a low score on purpose. I wasn't necessarily the most competent contender, I was just excited for the time before the Games. Getting to see the Capitol was exciting, even if it meant losing my life. "I know a basic weapon, and I know some survival skills. I'm agile. That's about all I bring to the table. I should probably show off my weapons skills to my allies, right?"

"Definitely. Any outer-District tributes probably know basic survival skills. If you have a quick mind, show that off, too. That can't be learned, so it's often seen as valuable." That knowledge made me a bit more hopeful about my situation. I wasn't the fastest thinker, but I was likely above average. I had a lot of practice, after all. Suddenly, I knew how to try and get allies.

* * *

 **Trevor (18) D11M**

Harvest wanted to talk to me first, and I was more than happy to oblige. I needed a good plan if I was to come out of the Games alive. I figured I had a decent chance, but a decent chance wasn't good enough. I had to have a great chance, maybe even a huge chance. Almost anything I could do to make myself more likely to return to my family, I was willing to do. Everybody had their limits, of course, but there wasn't much at all that I wasn't willing to do.

"So, what are some of your strengths and weaknesses?" Harvest was a man of few words, but that didn't annoy me. I wasn't much of one for long conversations, either.

"Well, I'm pretty big. Tributes will likely be scared to attack me, except the Careers and maybe a handful of exceptionally courageous people. I'm pretty strong, and I think I could easily learn how to fight. Fighting takes more than pure strength, but strength should help a lot. For weaknesses, I'm not particularly fast, and I can't really hide. Also, I refuse to kill the Eleven female." I considered continuing after saying that to make it less of a sudden statement, but decided otherwise. I would just have to see what Harvest said.

"You should definitely learn how to fight, and learn a decent melee weapon. Try to learn how to run. Even if you can't get to be super fast, try to work up endurance. Simply outlasting your attacker can be the different between life and death. There's not much you can do about hiding, but try your hardest to be less noticeable, and learn how to kill the Eleven female."

Harvest's professionalness surprised me. I had expected him to be hugely surprised that there was one specific person I couldn't kill, but he just went on like it was no big deal. "All right, that all makes sense. I guess I'd be able to kill the Eleven girl if we were in the top two, I just don't want to kill the closest thing to home. I don't really have much of a strategy, though. I know I want to grab a thing or two in the Bloodbath before I go, but that's pretty much it."

"All right. If the Eleven girl attacks you, you might have to fight her, but avoiding anyone is a good idea. Definitely fight your hardest if it's the final two. I think you'll be able to live in the Bloodbath, as long as you don't run in very far. You yourself said that you aren't very fast; don't go in all the way. Just dart in a little bit and get back out. As for the rest of the Games, that'll take a bit more thinking." I was prepared to think a while about the Games. There was a chance it would be one of the lasts thing I did.

* * *

 **Tatiana Kokolo (17) D11F**

 _No. No. No! NO!_ _Can't be here, need to leave, need my pack..._ My family said goodbye to me in the Center, but I didn't want them to be there. I wanted my wolves. My mentor said he would talk to me once he was done with Trevor, but I didn't want him. I needed my pack, and the Capitol was keeping my from them. That was unnacceptable. Couldn't they see my ears? I wasn't a proper tribute. I didn't belong in the Games. I belonged in the wild.

 _Wait a minute..._ The Games weren't going to be the worst thing in the world. After all, the Arena would be awesome. Sure, training would stink, and the Parade would stink, and pretty much everything before the Games was going to be awful, but during the actual Games, I would get to truly be the wolf I was, and nobody would be able to tell me otherwise. My parents woudn't insist that I was a human, my allies, if I got any, would have to accept me or lose me. Losing my pack stank, but they would wait for me back in the District. Wolves were extremely loyal.

Realizing that made me calm down a little. It was only a little, but it was better than nothing. I still dreaded all of the time before the Arena, and I dreaded the majority of the time I would spend in the Arena. Even if I got to hunt properly and eat properly, I still had to deal with not having enough food and probably not having proper shelter. Of course, that was a problem back in the District, but it was annoying there, too. It would be a more minor annoyance in the Arena, where other people were actively trying to kill me, but it would still be an annoyance.

 _If you got sponsors..._ I stopped that thought dead in its tracks. There was no way I was going to get any sponsors. Capitolites weren't likely to be fond of someone they simply saw as a feral child; they certainly weren't going to realize that I wasn't just improperly cared for. Everybody in the Capitol was going to be pushed away from me, possibly even disgusted by me. I had to play my cards right that the Capitolites didn't try to kill me, and that was all I allowed myself to hope for.

 _But if you got allies..._ That thought was acceptable. I wasn't the most attractive ally, but I could force myself to be slightly more pleasant. One tribute could very well end up being interested in me if I properly showed my strengths. I definitely needed an ally. _But that involves talking to people..._ My thoughts were correct; allying definitely involved talking to people. I almost got up and walked to my door before letting out a low growl and sitting back on my bed. I was thinking sensibly, and that was enough for the moment. I had to become entirely used to my surroundings; then I could get allies.

* * *

 **Gadeloth Grinsley (18) D12M**

"I'm going to kill you." I glowered at Tarabel from across a table, threatening her and intimidating her. Bellepheron looked at us in horror as I kept glaring at Tarabel. She looked like she was trying to think of something to do. It didn't matter what she tried to do. I wasn't going to leave Tarabel alone,

"Go right ahead and try," Tarabel replied calmly. It annoyed me how composed she was. She should have either yelled at me or cried, and she did neither. Her voice was perfectly steady, her gaze matching mine levelly.

"You think I can't? I'll show you how wrong you are. I'll make your death nice and slow. They'll allow that in the Arena, you know. The Capitol doesn't like getting involved. It messes up the show." I was dead serious about all of that. I wanted to see Tarabel scream. I wanted to laugh at her face as she begged for mercy, as she admitted that she was wrong. She would regret insulting me on the train; I was sure of that. I was also serious about the Capitol part, but that part didn't matter. It was just me being a little extra creepy by adding solid facts.

"The longer you take to kill me, the more chances you give me to survive. As long as you're torturing me I can be happy I'm not dead, and if you finally decide to kill me, I'll be happy I'm no longer being tortured. There is always a bright side to every situation. If you think you can crush a person's will to live, you're wrong," Tarabel said, still completely calm. She sounded informative, like she wasn't even a human. If someone recorded her voice she would have sounded a lot like a robot.

I chuckled slightly at her response. "Oh, you'd be surprised. There are legends of a man who would make his victims beg him to kill them before he died. Of course, it's legend, but legend sprouts from somewhere. They say the man was only caught when he let himself get caught on purpose, and even then he took people out with him. I'd say the will to live could be crushed. I'd even go so far as to say it wouldn't be very difficult."

I didn't tell her that the legend was my uncle. She didn't need to know that. Anyone who was smart would know that I mentioned him for some important reason, and it wasn't illogical to assume that I knew him somehow. I also didn't tell her that I had crushed the human spirit before, crouching over my victims and cutting them, harming them in various ways, until the screams stopped being cries for release from my room and instead being cries for release from this world. She didn't need to be told. She was going to learn that first-hand.

* * *

 **Tarabel Aspen (17) D12F**

Gadeloth didn't know who he was messing with. I knew who he was. I knew that the legend he talked about was his uncle. I just didn't care. I could hold my own against him, probably with his. He preyed on the weak and unsuspecting. I preyed on everyone and anyone I was supposed to. From the stongest man to the weakest old lady, I had been trained to kill them if needed. I could take a big show-off like Gadeloth. He was all bark and no bite.

My confidence that I could destroy Gadeloth in a fight didn't mean I wanted him mad. On the off-chance that I lost to him- he was naturally built better, and he was older, which had a chance at topping my training- I wasn't particularly fond of being tortured even more harshly than his average victim in a cruel move of revenge. A wise choice would have been not to speak at all, or to have pretended to have been scared by his remarks, but honestly, I didn't feel like it. He was being annoying, and putting on an act took a look of effort that I was spending planning for the Games. He could deal with a couple of unworried comments from me.

Watching Gadeloth's anger rise slowly got me slightly worried, but I couldn't allow him to know that. If he knew that he was beginning to upset me I would only have an even larger target painted on my back. I needed to find a smooth way to leave without showing any sign of being frightened, which I did. "Sorry to interrupt your death threats, but I'd like to talk with my mentor. I need to consider what to do about the rest of the competition, since there are likely many bigger threats than my District partner." It was the rudest thing I said during the entire exchange, but I kept my tone and expression level, hoping that he didn't notice the slight change in character.

Bellepheron seemed relieved beyond words that I finally stopped butting heads with Gadeloth. "Thank you for coming in here. I'm sure you're a very competent tribute, which is good. Twelve could certainly use some good tributes." She had a faraway look in her eyes as she spoke, and I knew she was remembering Smudge. The kid probably wasn't the only starving kid Bellepheron had to mentor, but it must have hurt to lose her. "You already clearly have skills. I'll help you get mentors. First of all, stop fighting with your District partner."

* * *

 **If you didn't read this entire chapter, I don't blame you. I usually won't be bothered to read 4,000 word chapters. On the bright side, train rides are finally done!**


	24. Stylists

**Caelina Livantus (D1 Stylist)**

After last year's Games, I knew I had to do something a bit less extravagant for at least one of the tributes. Ratings had gone through the roof, but I had to be a little more sophisticated. If nothing else, it would allow me to know what to do in the next Games. Uriah got to be my guinea pig. I worked harder than ever to go beyond physics for Annika's outfit, though. One of my tributes had to be dramatic.

* * *

 **Sonoma Cleric (D2 Stylist)**

When Chao told me that he was some epic Chinese family thing, I knew what to do. Chinese and Japanese traditions were pretty close, and Japanese culture offered me tons of things to work with. The Capitol history books said so. Totsuki seemed like she would be better fit for something else, so I arranged it. A bloodthirsty killer with a dark side would work well to show her off. I just had to figure out how to portray than in an outfit...

* * *

 **Uranus Glaze (D3 Stylist)**

Twixton liked the dark, as he told me right away. That wouldn't work at all for someone from Three, so I decided to help him with his fears. He seemed a little bit upset, but he had to admit it was a great plan, as he showed by offering up a weak smile. Ananova liked electricity, but I couldn't do two of the exact same thing. She got something the audience had never seen from Three before.

* * *

 **Kohl Augustine (D4 Stylist)**

Marlin had some arms on him. And some legs, and some chest. Everything about him needed to be shown off, which I knew how to do. Stylists had to know how to make tributes look perfect, after all. Four was perfect for particularly hot dudes. Luna was also super hot, so I gave her something perfect for a girl from Four. Of course, I tied the outfits together, but only vaguely. The tributes had to be individuals, of course.

* * *

 **Jezebel Esther (D5 Stylist)**

Cotè was a really little guy, small enough that even I felt bad showing him off too much. He was lucky that I always had epic back-up plans for tributes I couldn't just flaunt around a bit. Ananova was a lot easier for me to set up. Electric outfits were out- I had to get creative, and Ananova was perfectly creative to help me out.

* * *

 **Estee Lauder (D6 Stylist)**

Fletcher was drop-dead gorgeous. Most tributes were fitted to the District then made to look hot, but I couldn't worry about that. I would match him to his District after he looked as amazing to the crowd as I got to see him. I spent so much time on him I didn't have much time to work on Raze, but that was all right. She got to fit her District perfectly, to balance out Fletcher.

* * *

 **Sephora Hyler (D7 Stylist)**

Denver was stick thin and long. That wasn't attractive at all to the Capitol, so I had to go out of my way entirely to make him look good. Some people didn't understand how difficult they were. He stared at his outfit like I was crazy. Falia was actually kind of hot, but only a little. She was almost as difficult as Denver, but at least she was grateful for her outfit.

* * *

 **Revlon Kosmix (D8 Stylist)**

Giovanni had an interesting life, which absolutely had to we worked into his outfit. Eight was fabric, so as long as they were dressed, they were technically District related. That logic only worked sometimes, but I had just brought home a Victor, so I was bound to be rather easily judged compared to the other stylists.. Nigella was absolutely imperfectly beautiful, so I knew how to show her off. I was lucky.

* * *

 **Lucullus Pedalite (D9 Stylist)**

For some odd reason, the Nine outfits last year hadn't been very popular. Gabriel asked me to make him something other than straight grain as soon as he stepped into the room, so I had to grudgingly make him a new outfit. I didn't promise him anything good. Demi didn't make any unrealistic demands, but I already had a perfect outfit planned for her that wasn't woven grain. The tributes had to be grateful to me for what I did.

* * *

 **Narcissa Belfluer (D10 Stylist)**

Cole was hot, but just having a hot tribute wasn't enough anymore. I had to make sure my outfit "made sense" and "fit the District," according to some annoying ratings and possibly losing my job if I made Ginger too mad. Vets made sense for Ten, but apparently the Capitol wasn't aware of that. Mara was easy to dress up. She got to be something that made perfect sense, just like her partner. She wasn't even a cow.

* * *

 **Olay Yallansen (D11 Stylist)**

Trevor was certainly interesting. He hardly said anything to me, looking at all of the fabric instead. I wasn't sure if he was just interested in fabric or uninterested in me, but he didn't offer me much inspiration for my outfit. Lucky for him, I knew something Eleven had never seen before. Tatiana was a freak, and she bit and scratched at the outfit I made her. It didn't matter. She looked more realistic that way.

* * *

 **Rondo Nona (D12 Stylist)**

Gadeloth glared at me the entire time I was dressing him. Well, he could just be like that. I already had an outfit planned for tributes like that, and he got it. He won the prize. He glared at me even harder once I showed him his outfit, threatening to kill me. It didn't matter. Tarabel was actually somewhat nice to me, especially compared to Gadeloth, so I gave her a good outfit. That would teach Gadeloth what happened when he didn't give the Capitolites the respect they deserved.


	25. Parade

**Berree Razz**

 _Oh. My. GOSH!_ I couldn't believe that the Games were back already. Even more importantly, the Parade was back. I finally got to use my front row tickets- the ones I had bought a full year in advance. Creamy, Icy, and I had gotten the last three front row tickets. What were the odds of that? Tickets sold out like lightning. I almost missed a year of Parades.

I was nearly shaking in anticipation as the first Chariot rolled out. One did not disappoint. Uriah had gotten a simple outfit; simply some brown shorts with a white shirt, and a gold cape embedded with diamonds. He was absolutely gorgeous, and Icy threw him a rose.

Annika's outfit was much more fantastic. It seemed impossible to move in, but it was the most beautiful thing imaginable. The entire outfit was carved out of diamonds. She had a diamond dress, a diamond cape, and a diamond headress. She couldn't move an inch, but she still smiled for everyone. The real question was how she got into the outfit.

I threw a rose for Annika, and in a freak event, someone else's rose knocked it out of the sky. I turned to where the rose had come from and saw some girl glaring at me. "Who are you?" she demanded.

"I'm Berree Razz, and you are?"

"I'm Unimportanta Brainless, and this is my friend, Stupidita Simpleton. I can't believe you knocked my rose out of the sky!"

"Of course, I'm sorry about that." I wasn't sorry, but I wasn't in the mood to get yelled at. "Here, you can have one of my roses."

"Oh em gee! Thank you! I love getting what I want! We should totally be friends." Unimportanta smiled at me. She seemed like a total ditz, but she could just join the club.

"Of course we should be friends! Come stand by us!" Unimportanta and Stupidita came and stood by us as the Two Chariots rolled out. We were lucky our litte argument went quickly; we hadn't missed anything.

Chao took Unimportanta's breath away, and I had to admit his stylist had done well. He looked like a ninja, but he was somehow so much more. He seemed partially hidden, like a ninja should be. I figured it was due to the fancy reflective paint on parts of his body, and it was neat. Unimportanta threw him the rose I gave her.

Totsuki was something kind of old. She had a dark red Peacekeeper outfit, but it didn't have a mask. Yawn. She had a cloak, which looked nice and broke the regularness a bit, but it still wasn't anything amazing. She got one rose, probably for pity.

I could barely look at Twixton's outfit. Literally. It was shining brightly, covered in lightbulbs. That was all it was, just a black outfit with tons of lightbulbs on it. He seemed to absolutely despise his outfit, just like the entire crowd did. _Twixton_ got to wear sunglasses. _We_ didn't. Not a single rose flew his way.

Nova's outfit was actually sensible, as far as I could tell. My eyes were still a little messed up, but she appeared to be wearing a tight bodysuit that was silver. She looked like a robot in it, though she was super tense, probably because the bodysuit squeezed her body so tightly she couldn't move. She got a rose from me.

Marlin was something else entirely. I don't say that in a good way. Four's stylist wasn't famous for having the best outfits, especially when it came to the Hasvak family. Marlin was hardly wearing anything, only some swim trunks, and he had a shattered surfboard. It made no sense, and he got no roses from our group.

Luna's outfit was actually pretty, and it made Marlin's outfit make a tad bit more sense. Lots of men screamed when they noticed that her top was only a bra. She was sitting on the edge of the Chariot, probably because she had a tail instead of legs, and Marlin was staring at her lustfully. Icy put it together before the rest of the group, alerting us that that was called a siren, and they liked messing with men. Everyone in our group threw Luna a rose.

Cotè... wasn't naked. Everybody gasped when he came out, and he got a lot of roses. It wasn't hard to see why. He was cased in plastic and his hair was all spiked up, perfectly imitating an electric toothbrush. He even had a button on his stomach, and his hair was dyed to match the theme. It was hard not to facepalm.

Alix's outfit didn't make much sense for the District, but it was still better than her District partner's. Her dress was sparkly and gold, with a little sun headress. I didn't know what that had to do with electricity, but it was pretty. If her stylist was going for innocence it was what she got. A handful of roses wen to her, from the people who wanted to be deep and appreciate minimalism.

Fletcher's outfit was interesting, to say the least. He was wearing underwear, and it wasn't boxers. It was clear his stylist wanted to make him seem hot- which he did, I fangirled just like most of the crowd did, including some men- but it wasn't what we expected. He had a train conductor hat on, so he was technically Six related, but his stylist really had to do better. I threw him a rose anyways. He was hot.

Six truly failed us this year. Raze's outfit was no better than her District partners. She was a car. Not only was the horridly uncreative and overdone, it wasn't even a car oufit. Her stylist took a toy car- we could see the wheels and the brand name- and cut holes out so Raze fit in. She was glaring up a storm, and I could tell why. One person threw her a rose, and everybody gasped.

Everybody blushed when Denver came out. He was naked. There wasn't a single article of clothing anywhere on his body; all we got was paint. He was well painted; the bark he was supposed to look like had good texture and realistic shadows, but that didn't stop that he was naked. The truly impressive things were the leaves on his head and hands, which were also painted. I threw him a rose for art, at which my group gasped in disbelief.

Falia's outfit was actually an outfit, which she seemed to deeply appreciate. She had a nice brown dress on, with some darker areas that I assumed were supposed to elude to shadows. She had a green headdress and some leaves woven into her hair, which were stunning. I made a mental note to get some leaves in my hair. I threw her a rose, and Icy and Stupidita did the same.

Giovanni was wearing clothes, relating him to District Eight. That was the only way he related to Eight at all. His outfit was some weird overall things with some scissors, which I slowly put together to be a barber. On the bright side, his hair was great, which made sense with his outfit. Everybody in the crowd seemed confused, but three people threw him a rose.

Nigella's outfit was much more District related. She had a white canvas dress, which I thought was tasteful, and it was splattered with spices. I could smell them from my spot in the crowd. Some red thread was wrapped around the dress, but it wasn't placed evenly. I couldn't figure out why, though I assumed it was supposed to seem like fabric wasn't always perfect.

Gabriel's outfit was much better than Nine's last outfit. He had a simple white suit on, which had some grain on it. It had some gold flecks in it to accent the grain, and I could easily see a lot of texture on it. I threw him a rose, just like half of the crowd.

Demi's outfit was pretty revealing, but it wasn't vulgar. She was wearing a white crop top and a beige jacket, which was clearly supposed to look like grain. I hoped for Demi's sake that it wasn't actually made out of grain. She also had a lacy skirt, which didn't mean anything to the District, but it was very cute. She even had boots, which was amazing, that were beige. I threw her a rose for the boots, and Icy threw her a rose for the skirt.

Oh, Cole. Cole, Cole, Cole. He was wearing a cowboy outfit. On the upside, it wasn't a cow. On the downside, it was the second-least creative thing his stylist could possibly have done. Creamy sighed and threw him a rose, which was the only one he received other than mine. He was rocking some awesome cowboy boots, which were by far the high point of his outfit.

Mara's outfit was very simple. She had a yellow dress on which was slightly ruffled, but the ruffles weren't very pronounced. She had orange boots on, which weren't as cool as Cole's, and an orange mask. I slowly figured out that she was a chicken, and the color scheme was simply incorrect. Chickens weren't that yellow or orange. She got a lot of roses, though, probably because her dress was so pretty.

Trevor's outfit was a contender. For the worst outfit of the night. He was encased in wood, and it seemed to be real wood. A small trickle of blood showed through, and I assumed it was a splinter. There was a big hunk of fabric on his head, shaped like an arrowhead, and I realized he was a shovel. Creamy threw him a rose, but I didn't. I only had so many pity roses.

Tatiana was wearing some rugged, patched-together cloth on her body. I could think of no other words to describe it. It was torn and ripped, though that seemed to be Tatiana's doing. She was still scratching at herself. The fabric looked rough, and I pitied her. She had cute little wolf-ears on, though, so that was nice. I threw her a rose.

Gadeloth's outfit almost matched Trevor's, except it seemed to be even more painful. He, too, was encased in wood, but his wood covered his neck. He was bleeding a lot, and it stained the wood. He had a huge chunk of metal attached to his head, and I almost instantly knew that he was a pick-axe. He was glaring at Tarabel, who was laughing at him. She was bent over in laughter, and Gadeloth seemed to be screaming something threatening at her. He didn't get any roses.

Tarabel, the last tribute I judged for the night, was completely unrelated to her District. She had a bright pink dress on and a cute little pink-and-purple wand. The wand had a tooth on top of it, and Tarabel had a tooth crown. She was obviously a tooth fairy, but I couldn't figure out why. I loved her wings, though, which she showed off due to the fact that she was doubled over entirely. They were translucent, giving off the faintest hints of pink and purple. I threw her two roses.

* * *

 **Now we get to meet Creamy's more mature counterpart, Berree. She wasn't supposed to be this much of a character, but she is now.**

 **Unimportanta makes her entrance! If anybody else wants a cameo from their story just mention it. These are fun to write.**

 **Keep in mind, Berree is very critical. Not all outfits she dislikes were supposed to be bad, and not all she likes were supposed to be good, necessarily. She's also very random about roses, just like the entire crowd is. Roses are awarded however people feel like it, not based off of best and worst outfits.**

 **There's a valuable lesson to be learned today: Give me a Parade outfit. I got maybe three people this year who didn't provide an outfit, and my first response is always: "What's the dumbest thing I can possibly make?" The dumb outfits are fun, but if you want something decent, you provide it.**

 **So, what are your thoughts? Best outfits? Worst outfits? I don't normally do questions, but I'm curious. Also, brownie points (just pride, no actual value) if you can guess which outfits I made.**


	26. Career Training

**Uriah Chance (18) D1M**

All of the Careers agreed that we should split up during training in order to cover a lot of ground. Some of us were less willing to do that than others, since it wasn't a completely standard Career activity, but nothing was standard Career activity. I was one of the eager ones, happy to be able to learn whatever I thought was necessary without having to fight someone else for the right to do so. I just had to hope that whatever skill I learned didn't end up being completely useful, or it would likely be off with my head.

Being a servant back in One, I hadn't had time to learn too many weapons. I had learned some decent survival skills, but weapons were a blank, past the boomerang. I doubted how useful the boomerang would be in the Arena, especially if I had to make one on my own, so I thought learning a new weapon made perfect sense. The spear seemed like a wise choice, since it was simple and I could easily construct it, but it could still cause decent damage.

As it turned out, spears were a bit less simple than I had expected. I knew how to aim, and I knew that that was important knowledge in the world of spears. I hadn't realized how hard it was to aim a spear if you were throwing it, or how few places there were to hit. A simple stab with a spear was, well, simple, since anywhere you hit you would cause damage, but if you threw your spear you had to hope to kill, or you lost your weapon. The assistant spat all of that information at me at the speed of light, and I wrote it down as fast as I could. I was lucky that I had brought along a pen and paper, though it was a bad decision to use a pen.

Little by little the assistant finished his spiel, and after making sure I had heard everything he said, he let me practice my aim. It was noon by the time I started, so I had to work fast if I was to get much useful training done. Luckily for me, I was used to working fast, so my predicament was hardly a challenge. Unluckily for me, it was hard to practice anything fast. All I could do was throw the spear a lot, memorizing kill points and trying to perfect my aim. Memorizing kill points hardly took any time, but there was no rushing aim perfection.

I kept throwing spears all throughout the training day, slowly improving my aim. I was frustrated by how slow my process was; slow work was hardly better than no work, but hardly better was still better. As the training day drew to a close and I threw my last couple of spears, I realized that I was getting near kill points with every shot. I was only getting near them; hitting them rarely happened, but it was a large improvement, and I allowed myself to be happy with my progress.

* * *

 **Annika Knight (18) D1F**

The Training Center closed for the night. Everybody knew that. Most people, myself included, never thought about how boring those hours when we couldn't train would be. Compared to our last days of preparing for a fight to the death, even the best attractions the Capitol had to offer didn't seem like much. I decided not to spend my time lurking in my bed, waiting for sleep to come hours before it was supposed to, or goofing off in the Capitol playing area, trying in vain to have some fun. Instead I just wandered aimlessly, thinking about my future and looking at my surroundings. The Capitol was beautiful, and I enjoyed looking at it.

Even once the training time was over, Capitolites walked through the building, either hoping for a glance at one of the tributes or simply enjoying the view. The entire Capitol was beautiful, but the Games Building was somehow different than the rest of the Capitol. The crowds were thinning when I was wandering, but there were still plenty of people for me to look at and think about. Their lives were all clearly different from mine; they didn't have to think about death in the near future. Most of them only worried about their next outfit. I almost envied them for it, despite being a trained Career. As much as I hated to admit it, I was getting cold feet, as I expected every Career did.

My gaze usually only rested on any particular Capitolite for a second before flittering off to the next. Each person drew my eyes for one reason or another; it could be their hair, or their mouth, or their height. I was freaked out, understanding that I only fleetingly considered each person as a person. None of them seemed real to me; they were all just characters for me to talk to or play with as I wished. I didn't talk to anyone, but I could have, and they would have engaged as excitedly as if it were their only purpose in life. It wasn't every day that a tribute graced them with their presence.

Two Capitolites drew my gaze for more than their alloted second. They were just walking together, laughing and drinking smoothies. I stared at them, and they noticed. They stared right back at me, pointing at me and talking to each other. I kept staring, noticing that they looked almost exactly alike, that they were wearing the same outfit, that their hair was done the same way. I noticed how they walked at the same pace, how they understood each other without words, and it made me want to scream.

Finally, their importance clicked in my mind. They were sisters. These Capitolites, who didn't have a care in the world, got to have sisters. Meanwhile, I didn't get to have a person I loved like no one else. I didn't get to have that one special person who understood me how nobody, not a parent, not a husband, ever could. I could feel tears welling up in my eyes as I stared at them, my brain forcing me to remember the night I had left my sister. It shoved the old guilt back into my mind, telling me for the thousandth time that I should have stayed home with her, that I was the older sister, I was supposed to be responsible. It put the image of the pool of blood into my mind, the failed searches, how my best friend and the best person in the entire world had disappeared without a trace.

I tried not to cry. Tears were weakness; I couldn't be weak. I left the area; if I was going to be weak, I couldn't let people see it. Once I was out of sight, out of earshot, I fell apart. Tears flowed down my face freely as I screamed. I let out all of my emotions on anything near me: Trash cans, benches, statues, everything got smashed around. I kicked and screeched, wondering why I had lost everything when so many people had everything. My throat got raw but I kept screaming, still kicking and still crying. I couldn't take it; Jade should have been in the District, Jade should have been waiting for my Games. Jade should have been training, learning how to fight to carry on the family line. I didn't stop kicking until my body made me, and even then I kept crying. The screaming finally stopped and I leaned against a wall, crying until my eyes ran dry. I couldn't stop myself from hugging my knees to my chest and sobbing. I didn't have to get up for hours, and I didn't plan to. I just wanted to cry.

* * *

 **Chao Chiang (18) D2M**

As the Training Center closed and the tributes started milling around, wondering what to spend their time doing, I wandered off to see everything the Capitol had to offer. I waved at Annika as I walked off, happy to have her in our alliance. She didn't wave back, but I didn't care. She seemed less talkative than some, but to each their own. I was too busy looking in all of the fancy Capitol stores to bother trying to talk to her.

There was more to the Games Building than I hoped to see, but I peeped into each store for a second to see if it was worth my time. Most of them were full of random doohickeys, like snowglobes or windchimes, and I didn't bother going into those. I couldn't bring any of those things into the Games with me; I already had a token and they could easily be made into weapons. If I hardly had any time, I needed to make sure to only use it on things that really interested me.

One entire floor of the building went by without me stopping in any stores. I felt kind of bad, leaving all of those stores without much by which to judge them, but I figured the other tributes would make up for how judgemental I was. The outer District tributes sometimes spent their entire time in the Capitol goofing off in the stores, and I could see why. Most of them didn't think they could win even if they trained, and most of them were right. Only one tribute out of the twenty-four won, and training hardly increased their odds.

The second story of the Games Building was considerably less overdone than the first. The stores got to be more calm, and it wasn't as exciting. I didn't really mind that; I had already had enough excitement for one day. The shopkeepers all swarmed at the doors as I walked by, and I figured that I was one of the only tributes to get past the first floor, which made sense. The first floor had a lot more to offer than the second floor, but the second floor offered quality over quantity.

One of the stores stuck out from the rest, mainly because it wasn't a store. It was decorated differently from the rest, having stone dragons and jade walls instead of the diamond or gold walls and sparkling fountains the other stores offered. I was instantly drawn to it, since I recognized it for what it was. The lettering on the front, one set in Chinese and one set in English, proved to me that it was exactly what I expected. "Ancient Chinese Museum- Find out about your roots," were the words that drew me inside the section, staring at all of the exhibits and touching everything I could.

The museum didn't have much to offer of true Chinese roots. It had some old silk clothes, which were a much-appreciated breath of fresh air compared to the rest of the Capitol, and a couple of rock gardens. There were some samurai outfits, which I disapproved of, and there was a Buddha statue. The calligraphy drew me in more than the rest of the exhibits; I was enamored by the deliberately placed strokes that spelled out the history of a country. A lot of the history was incorrect, and I figured the Capitol had made it's own "ancient" writing, but I still admired the writing. I also liked the fans with calm pictures painted on them, and I stayed in the museum admiring them until it closed.

* * *

 **Marlin Hasvak (18) D4M**

Once the Training Center closed, I decided to learn a bit about the future. I didn't know every detail about where my future was going to go, but I knew one place where it had to end up at one point or another, and I wanted to find out about that spot. Lots of other people had already gone through it, but I still didn't know what it was like, since they never talked about it. I knew I should ask someone what they thought, but no one who went through what I was curious about survived, and I didn't think Talaysa would be of any help, so I was left without a clue as to who I should ask.

Sitting in my room for a good fifteen minutes provided me with the correct answer to my question. Shale was the mentor who had gone through the closest thing to what I had gone through; she probably had the best idea of an answer. Even if she didn't know what happened, which she probably didn't, she would be able to have a rational conversation. She was also one of the most human of the Career mentors, and I was certain she wouldn't blow me off for being from Four, so I found her in the Two section and asked her, "What do you think happens after death?"

Shale looked at me in surprise, probably partially due to my being from Two and partially due to the fact that I was bothering with talking to her. She considered for a few seconds, then invited me to sit down beside me and talk with her. "I understand why you're curious. You're going to say it's because death is inevitable, but it's really since Serena died. I need you to get over your grief. I don't want you to win, but I need you to be a valuable member to the Pack, so I'll help you." Her bluntness upset me a bit, but I just nodded to show my understanding and waited for her to continue.

After I nodded, Shale continued, "No one knows what happens after death. I'm not religious, partially because it's illegal but mostly because I don't think any of the religions are right. However, I do believe in something a bit like Heaven. I expect that if you were a good person, or if you were too young to be a good or bad person, you go to Heaven. If you were a bad person, you just disappear. I don't believe in a Hell like many people do."

I had no way of knowing if Shale was right, but I wanted to believe her, so I did. "Do you think Serena was a good person?" I could hardly force myself to ask the question, my voice was shaking so hard. There was a chance that I would get to see Serena once I died. I didn't realize right then that I had volunteered to murder children and was probably going to disappear. I was too excited to worry about being logical.

"She deliberately murdered children. She volunteered for it, even. Most of the time I would say that makes her a lost cause, but she was an unusual case. Serena was a product of her environment, for one thing, and I consider anyone in the Games too young to simply disappear. Yes, I think she's in some sort of Heaven."

I let out a sigh of relief after Shale finished talking. She started off so cruelly, making me expect that Serena had just disappeared. "Thank you," I barely whispered, excusing myself from the room. I went back to my room, happier on the inside than I could express. I couldn't be sure that I was right, but my state of hope was better than my previous state of nothing. The day was a success.

* * *

 **Luna Irika (18) D4F**

The Careers wanted to split up in training, and I was fine with that. That meant I got to spend my training time doing whatever I wanted, not just following the crowd. I took note of what all of the other Careers were doing, making sure to learn my own thing, and was surprised to see that none of them went to the bow-and-arrow station. I figured the bow would be a practical weapon, since it was long-distance but the arrows could easily be used for stabbing, so I went over to learn a bit about it.

The assistant didn't seem surprised at all when I headed to her station, and I assumed she got a tribute or two who showed interest every year. She smiled at me and explained the basics, like which stance to use and how to hold the bow, then let me show my understanding. I did so with ease, since the basics were simple. After that she moved to more advanced stuff, like how to aim perfectly and when it was worth taking a shot. To my surprise, it was unwise to always shoot at a good target. As I quickly realized made perfect sense, it was best to wait for a kill shot, unless you could easily kill using two arrows. I nodded as the assistant explained, eager to get to training.

After finishing an hour-long explanation of every single detail there was to know about how to use a bow, and how to make hours, the assistant stepped back to let me practice. I took aim at a dummy and missed by a mile, relieved that the other Careers didn't notice and that I hadn't accidentally killed someone. I wasn't sure what the repurcussions were if I killed a tribute before the Games, and I certainly didn't want to find out. It wouldn't have surprised me if I exploded on the spot and the Capitol just got a new Four female.

Little by little, my aim began to improve. I started to hit the dummy one in four times, then every other time, then every time. The only thing slowing my training was my need to gather my arrows after every twelve arrows, since that was the maximum amount of arrows I was allowed at any given time. I thought that was a dumb rule, since it just meant I wasted time, but I wasn't about to tell the Capitol that. Instead, I gathered my arrows every time, counting how many times I hit the target in a kill spot before I had to gather an arrow. Just like hitting the target at all, the numbers grew slowly, starting at once a gathering, then hitting twice, until I could finally hit close enough to a fatal spot to probably kill someone twenty-five percent of the time. I was no pro, and I needed more practice, but it was better than nothing, and I figured it was a good amount of growth for the time I had.

* * *

 **Even if a tribute is not written training, they are given whatever training their form asks for.**

 **I'm not sure if the Capitol would have a Chinese museum, but if they did I doubt it would value the culture very much. They got things wrong whenever they felt like it.**


	27. Why Such Big Outer District Alliances?

**I should probably explain this, as a guest pointed out. This is my Training section, but training gets boring quickly, so if you requested a Capitol scene you'll probably get it here. I do it by alliance, which is why Totsuki wasn't mentioned last chapter; she isn't joining the Pack.**

* * *

 **Demi Ryea (16) D9F**

Training in the Training Center was important, but it wasn't all I needed in the Games. I needed to get some sponsors, but that wasn't my focus. I could get sponsors during the Games. My real point of focus was getting some allies. I already knew some possible allies, so I started going around to find them and inquire about an alliance. My first choice was Giovanni, since he seemed big and strong, but nice enough to take me in. He was at the sword station when I found him, and I gathered my courage before stepping up to him. "I was wondering if you'd be interested in an alliance," I started, trying to seem as formal and competent as possible.

Giovanni hardly considered for a second before responding. "I'm fine with you joining. What can you offer to our alliance?"

"I'm a quick thinker, and I'm pretty fast. I also already have basic knife knowledge, so that's good. What do you mean our alliance?" I was certain Giovanni had used that pronoun on purpose.

"You'd have to ask Denver and Cotè. They're already part of the alliance, and I don't want to let anyone in without their agreement." I nodded and left to find the others. I hadn't realized that I was joining a four person alliance, but I didn't mind. The more people, the better.

Denver was at the axe station when I found him, wildly trying to figure out how to work an axe well. I walked up to him, smiling and saying, "I'm Demi. I was wondering if I could be part of your alliance. I'm fast and know knives, and Giovanni already showed interest."

Denver shrugged, slashing the dummy once more with his axe before turning to me. "If it's fine with Cotè, too, then it's fine with me. We could use more people." I nodded and headed off to find the Cotè kid.

Cotè was at the roots station, hunched over a computer. I walked up to him, stepping loudly, before announcing my presence, trying to make sure I didn't spook him. "Hi! I'm Demi. I was hoping I could be part of your alliance. Giovanni and Denver already said it's fine."

Cotè was the most judgemental of the alliance, considering for long seconds before saying I could join. "What do you bring to the table?"

"I'm fast, a quick thinker, and know how to use knives," I said, outlining my strengths for the third time. Cotè nodded, which I assumed was a way to say I was allowed in, and I told Denver and Giovanni before being forced out of the Training Center. I had wasted almost an entire day of training, just running between people like a chicken with my head cut off, but I had made allies, which was better than nothing.

Now that the training day was over, I could meet with the Capitolites without wasting my time. Lots of people looked over me without a second thought, but some of the more Games-absorbed Capitolites pointed at me. I walked up to the first person who pointed, smiling as they said, "Are you Demi Ryea?"

"You bet! What are you thinking about?" I was standing in a small crowd of teenage girls, each of them gasping and freaking out over meeting a real tribute. _Want to trade places?_

"Can I have your autograph? Please?" the most adventurous girl asked, offering up a jacket. The rest of the girls pulled things out of their pockets or purses, offering them to me. The smartest girl offered me a permanent marker, and I signed her picture first.

"Thank you!" I said to the girl who gave me the marker. She sighed, muttering something about how stupid her friends were before taking back her picture. I signed everyone else's things one by one, until finally I ran out of things to sign and the girls starting asking me questions.

"What's it like to be a tribute?"

 _Oh, you know, I'm probably about to die, but it's no big deal..._ "It's exciting! I get to see a whole new world soon!"

"What's training like?"

 _You know how sore your legs get when you walk up ten flights of stairs? Imagine doing that thirty times. I really need to get into running long, not fast._ "It's pretty neat. I met a lot of interesting people. The assistants are all so nice!"

"Do you think you're going to be the Victor?"

 _I think I already internally answered that question..._ "I think I have a chance, but it'll be a lot more likely if I get some good sponsors."

"I'll sponsor you! You deserve it, you're so cool!" the first girl assured me.

"I'l sponsor you!" another random girl from the back of the crowd promised.

"I'll sponsor you!" everyone in the group agreed. I wasn't certain as to how many people would hold up to their promises, but some of them probably would. I had gotten sponsors and allies. I could spend the rest of my time training.

* * *

 **Ananova "Nova" Nyan (15) D3F**

When the training day was over, I wandered the Training Building until I found what I was looking for. Stores were everywhere in the building, but they weren't what I was after. I didn't need any fancy new items before I went into the Games, though I intended to get some candy from one of the candy stores before the Games. I wasn't looking for some fancy store. I was looking for an experience.

Wandering from store to store, finally going from floor to floor, I found what I was looking for. One room in the building held instruments. I went into the room quietly, closing the door behind me. I didn't want anyone to see what I was about to do. It wasn't particularly embarassing, but it was personal. My escorts and mentors and random strangers didn't need to see this particular part of my history.

Across the room from me there was a piano. It was a grand piano, one of the most gorgeous ones I had ever seen. Before I even sat down I admired its ebony wood and ivory keys, rubbing my finers along the case before opening up the roof. I propped the top of the piano up, more for show than for sound quality. I wasn't going to play the piano. I hadn't done that in years. I was just going to look at it, and to think while I sat at it.

The bench was simple, just a four-legged seat with a velvet top. I sat on it and realized that it was far from useful; it was just a chair. Many benches had a place to put your books if you pulled the top up, but that bench didn't. I sat on it anyways; it fit the piano. Then I put my fingers on the keys, running them first along the white notes, then the sharps and flats. True, the B was a C flat, but it didn't count. B wasn't set out to be a flat key; it just happened to end up being one.

I surprised myself when I hit a note. It was a low C, and the noise it made was deep and drawn out. I pressed down the pedal, drawing the note out even more before hitting another note, then another. _B, A, G#, A, C, C, B, A, B, D._ The notes came slowly at first, then they began to fly. I played the song by heart; I didn't need a book. I had memorized it years ago. I hit each note with surprising accuracy, what with my lack of practice. I remembered the octaves and repetitions, where the pianos and fortes belonged, and which written ideas I ignored for the sake of drama. Once you were good enough at playing piano, you could embellish a bit. I remembered the trill at the end, and the ritarando.

A noise pulled me from my trance. I was surprised to hear myself finish the song consciously. When I finally turned from my spot, dragging my fingers off of the keys rather than forcing them on, I say Tellie standing in the doorway. She was looking at the ground bashfully, apparently aware that my song was personal. "That was amazing."

"Thanks," I replied, blushing. She wasn't supposed to hear that. That song was for my grandmother, not anyone else.

* * *

 **Cotè Fuller (13) D5M**

Surviving was necessary in the Games, but so was fighting. I wasn't certain which one was more important, so I knew I should learn both. I couldn't learn both perfectly, of course; I would just learn as much about both as I could. I had a week to train. That allowed me three and a half days for survival and three and a half days for fighting, which I thought would be a good start on both topics.

My dilemna was choosing which to go to first. If I went to survival first I risked my memory dulling and increasing my chances of accidentally eating something poisonous, but if I went to fighting first I risked forgetting how to properly fight. After five minutes of careful deliberation, I realized that I was being an idiot, since I could just alternate days instead of doing three and a half then three and a half. That being decided, I went to the survival station. The assistant smiled brightly at me as I headed over, but I went to a computer. I didn't particularly feel like human interaction right then.

Each decision I made threw another decision at me. Once I went to the survival station, I had to choose if I wanted to learn how to get food, shelter, or warmth. I chose food, since I figured food would be the most important thing during the Games, if I couldn't get sponsors. Then I had to choose what kind of food I wanted, either plants or animals. I chose plants, since animals seemed pretty straightforward. Then I had to choose between berries, leaves, and roots, which actually took me a bit of deliberation. Berries seemed like the obvious choice, but everybody learned berries. If I had an alliance, somebody else was bound to know berries. I chose roots.

Names of roots and pictures of them began to scroll across a screen I was at. _Potato._ I knew that one. _Carrot._ I knew that one. _Skirret._ I didn't know that one. I paused the slideshow and examined the skirret, memorizing every detail of what it looked like and how it had to be prepared. It was pretty simple; the root wasn't poisonous if I messed up, so I didn't have to be careful. Once I thought I knew what a skirret was, I let the slideshow continue. _Cumin._ I had heard of that one, but I hadn't seen it. I paused the slideshow again, memorizing the cumin. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

 **Denver Crane (15) D7M**

The Training Center was a new world to me. There was something new in every corner, from weapons to berries to rope courses. I was interested in all of them, and I wanted to play with all of them, but I knew that was a bad idea. Instead, I knew I had to focus on the important things, which happened to be a weapon in my case. Which weapon to choose was a difficult decision, but I figured an axe was the most fitting weapon for someone from Seven, so I went to the axe station.

An assistant smiled at me while I made my way to his station. He rambled to me about the difference between throwing axes and cutting axes, as if I couldn't immediately see the huge difference in size and feel the difference in weight. I told him I was interested in cutting axes, and he showed me a variety of axes to choose from, from fancy pearl-handled axes to basic wooden ones. I chose a wooden one, since I thought I should get used to what I would probably have in the Arena.

The wood was smooth in my hand. The handle was so smooth I hardly thought I was holding it, and I was a bit freaked out that wood could be so smooth. Wood was supposed to have branches and splinters, not perfectly sanded, bumpless texture. I picked the axe up anyways, holding it as the instructor directed me and slashing where I was directed. The dummy had multiple spots marked on it, color-coded to show which areas would kill, injure, or hurt. I memorized the kill spots and only the kill spots, since they were all I was capable of memorizing while still focusing on swinging my axe. It was hard to get a very good swing, but I practiced until my arms were sore and the tributes were forced out of the Training Center.

While the Training Center's doors closed I made my way up to my room. I wasn't sure exactly what type of wildlife the Capitol had, but I intended to find out. I sat on my bed, staring out of a window made of bulletproof glass. There was hardly anything outside of my window for a while, but after I had waited for agonizing minutes, a bird flew by my window. I placed a little bit of bread on my window, feeling cruel for luring the bird close with something it couldn't have but desperately wanting to get a closer look.

Flapping its wings wildly, the bird landed on my windowsill, pecking at the bread. I stared at it, unwilling to move closer for fear of scaring it away. The bird was clearly of Capitol design; it was bright pink with blue wings. As its head twisted between pecks it changed colors; sometimes the crest was green, sometimes it was yellow, and sometimes it was purple. After a while the bird realized that it was pecking at glass, and it glared at me. I didn't think birds were capable of understanding glass, much less glaring at the person behind it, but that bird was glaring at me as it got up to leave. "Sorry."

* * *

 **Vanny Cancri (18) D8M**

For the first half of my day, I tried to learn what my allies were learning. Nova, the newest addition to our alliance, learned the bow-and-arrow, Cotè learned edible roots, Demi learned knives, and Denver learned axes. Each of those things was interesting, and I tried to learn a little bit about them, but my allies seemed to be doing fine on their own, so I figured I should learn my own thing. I couldn't afford to drag down my alliance; I had to be strong for their sake and mine. Being one of the oldest people in the alliance, I figured I should act as a protecter even if there were other protectors, so I went to the weapon stations.

There was probably more than a hundred weapons for me to choose from. I could choose an ancient Japanese torture weapon, a slightly-less-ancient English torture weapon, or Panemian weapons that were actually practical and useful. I went over to the Panemian station, looking through the weapons as if I didn't already know which one I wanted. Sitting on the left edge of the table, where it was in easy sight of the door, there was a sword station. It had swords of various lengths, widths, and colors, each with its own little section on the table. The station was immaculately kept, and as I made my way over to it, an assistant of equally perfect composure greeted me. "Hello. What type of sword would you like to learn about?"

"I'm not completely sure. I need something that I have a chance of getting or being able to fashion decently in the Arena. What would you recommend?" The assistant smiled even more brightly when I asked for advice instead of pretending that I knew what I was looking for. I found myself led to a short sword with a simple handle and straight blade, which the assistant lifted up and offered to me.

"This sword is one of our most simple ones. It's nice, because you don't have to find yourself a very long blade, and the handle can be made out of almost anything. It's also very easy to maneuver, being so short and light. Here, you can try it out." I took the sword from the assistant's hand and swung it at the dummy in front of our station. Stuffing flew out of the dummy dramatically, but anyone with eyes could see that I had only skimmed the dummy's arm. "You're going to have to learn how to properly slice and stab, not just swing wildly," the assistant said, as if I couldn't see that. I just nodded and listened while the assistant explained how to properly swing a sword, getting distracted every five minutes about random things. I smiled and waited. It wasn't like I was on a time limit, or anything.


	28. No Funny Title ):

**Nigella Coriander (18) D8F**

The Capitol was amazing. Everything that surrounded me was full of color and excitement. Even the roads weren't just black and yellow, or gravel, they were red, or purple, or cobblestone. Some of them were even multicolor. I wanted to touch everything, to feel the excitement surrounding my even more, but I couldn't do that. I had to keep appearances up, being a tribute and all.

Training was hard, as it was supposed to be. We were working ourselves as hard as we could, fighting for any chance we had to possibly live through an extra day or week. Even once we got tired we couldn't stop, and most of us didn't want to. We didn't want to waste any of our little time trying to slow our hearts or catch our breath. Some tributes chose mental things, which was probably nice, but like most of the tributes, I was learning a weapon, and my arms hated me for it. I wanted to go to my room and sleep once the Training Center closed, but I didn't want to miss out on my time in the Capitol.

I sighed as I left the Training Center. A day's hard work was done. I could finally travel all of the Capitol I hadn't seen on my train ride, and I was ready to do just that. I didn't know where I was going to go or what I was going to do, but there was bound to be something fun somewhere. I was in the Capitol, after all. There was something fun around every corner, whether or not your were looking for it.

As I wandered around the Games Building, the place of my dreams materialized in front of me. A huge movie store, bigger than our house, was open wide, welcoming anyone and everyone who wanted to enter. I was curious as to what I would find in there; I suspected that the Capitol didn't use DVDs. I walked in, ready to be greeted with just about anything. Would it be lasers? Would it be some retro thing, where I could find old records? Screens were everywhere I looked, but where were the movies?

Movies, I found out, were sold in chips. Little computer chips, hardly as big as my fingernail, could hold an entire movie. I could hardly understand it; I had never seen anything like it. While I examined the chips, I heard someone come up behind me and turned to greet him. He beat me to it, asking me, "Are you Nigella Coriander?"

My jaw dropped when I saw who was asking my name. "Are you Comrail Windcof?" I asked him, not believing my eyes.

"I am. I'm a bit surprised you recognize me; I haven't made a movie in a while."

"Are you kidding me? _All My Love_ was the best movie ever! I only got to watch it once back in Eight, but I loved it. It was so heart wrenching and unexpected!" The director of _All My Love_ was standing before me, interested in who I was and not just showing off his fame. I didn't expect him to be that kind of person, but I also didn't think he would just talk to someone like me.

"Well, thank you. I put a lot of hard thought into it. I wanted it to be a very emotional movie. Do you have a favorite type of movie?" he asked me, looking truly interested.

"I like romances the best. I feel so much during them. It's amazing how much a movie can effect your state of mind, isn't it?" I asked him a question back, wanting to hear a bit about him and not just talk about myself.

"Yes, it is really amazing. Just watching characters on a screen. Our brain gets so attached to them, and I can see why, but I don't understand it. I mean, I try to make perfect characters for their roles, but I always find it surprising when people actually like them."

"Your characters are perfect," I said, surprised that he was so unsure of himself. Who wouldn't love his characters? "I could really feel Chimekits pain when everything started going wrong. She responded so realistically; it was surprising how well a character could do."

"Thank you," he said, seemingly honestly grateful. "Look, I have to go now, but I'll be watching you during the Games. Good luck."

"Thank you."

* * *

 **Alix Hessia-Rhine (14) D5F**

Training was important. I spend hours doing it, just like I was supposed to, because it increased my chances of winning. At the end of the day, however, I just wanted to relax with my ally and try to enjoy what would likely be the last days of my life. I knew what I wanted to do in the Capitol before I arrived there, and I excitedly told my ally about it as soon as training let out. "So, there's this restaurant in the Capitol. It's new, and it has weird food- the sign says that. Can you imagine what it must be? Food weird even for the Capitol?"

"It could be anything," Nigella replied, seeming equally excited. I figured she and I would get along well, both of us with our deep interest in emotions, and wasn't surprised that she thought the same. I was surprised when she allied with me, but it was a delightful surrpise.

"I know! I don't know what we're going to order. We might not even know all of the words on the menu," I chattered as we walked to the restaurant. It was opening night for the restaurant, and the place was packed. Luckily for us, we were tributes, so we got to skip the line and get seated right away. It was supposed to be for advertising, but it just made me think of getting near-death bonuses.

"So, what's on the menu?" Nigella mumbled, flipping through the pages. I didn't say anything, concentrating on the pages. _Filleted salmon, roasted salmon, cape cod._ I skipped the rest of the fish page. Fish hardly counted as weird. _Onion covered mushrooms, chopped and roasted bananas, deep fried ice cream._ The miscallaneous section was much more interesting. At the bottom right corner of the last page, something caught my eye. _Wooden selections. Pine, oak, maple._ They served wood at the restaurant, apparently, and I giggled while looking at it. Capitolites payed to eat wood?

After allowing us to consider for a while, the waitress came back to us, smiling brightly at the aspect of serving tributes. "Have you decided what you want yet?"

I allowed Nigella to order first, and she ordered with confidence. "I'd like a Bubbly Fizzer, please, to drink, and a _Celestial Morngage_."

The waitress nodded at me once Nigella had finished speaking, but I took my time in responding. I had to make sure I chose the absolute best thing on the menu, after all. "I'd like a Delightful Deraio to drink, and a _Fleorisk Ilianpop._ Could I also have an order of pine?"

"Of course!" the waitress said, scribbling down our orders before walking away.

"What did you order?" I asked Nigella once the waiter was gone.

"I have no idea. Some fancy soda and a cool-sounding main. What did you order?"

"I don't even know what drink I ordered," I said, laughing slightly. "I got us some delicious pine wood, though."

"That's literally pine? I thought it was something fancy, like the mud cake we once ate at our place."  
"Nope. It's just straight wood, according to the menu," I said. Our food was served to us before Nigella could answer, and both of us turned in surprise. Food was never prepared that quickly in the Districts.

"All right. I Bubbly Fizzer and _Celestial Morngage_ for you," the waitress said as she handed Nigella her plate, "And a Delightful Deraio, _Fleorisk Ilianpop_ and pine for you."

Nigella and I thanked the waitress then turned to our food. My plate was covered in flowers, which I took to be decoration, and the food was some unrecognizable meat paste. I didn't know why meat paste was even offered on a Capitol menu, but I smiled anyways at the prospect of eating it. I had also received a chocolate bar, which excited me almost as much as my drink. My drink was some weird, pink bubbly stuff, which smelled rotten but I was certain tasted delicious. I also had a board of wood, which I pushed off the plate unceremonially.

I took a peak at Nigella's plate as she peeked at mine. She laughed when she saw mine, glancing at me apologetically, and I gasped at her plate. She had gotten a bunch of fruit shaped like stars with sauce draped over them strategically, circling the main dish, which was a heaping pile of round balls. Her drink was brown stuff that looked like syrup, but she seemed more pleased by her drink than she thought I should be with mine.

Practically shaking with excitement, we both dug into our food. I found my meat paste to be delicious, and gave Nigella some of mine, and she gave me some of her fruit and balls in return. The fruit tasted tangy and sweet, but the balls caught my attention more. They popped in my mouth and oozed some sweet liquid, leading me to believe Nigella had ordered from the dessert menu. I took a taste ot my drink, my hopes held high, then spat it back out into my cup. It tasted like rot, and I thought I had been poisoned.

Nigella was staring at me in anticipation while I drank from my glass, and she burst into laughter as soon as I spat it out. "That's alcohol," she sputtered between laughs. "It tastes like death. We can share my drink." I blushed as I realized I wasn't being poisoned, but I still thought alcohol was disgusting. The Capitol shouldn't have that sort of stuff.


	29. Not Sure Why They Allied

**Sorry this is so late D: I had a hard time writing them once I got myself to write.**

 **This doesn't really matter, but I made outfits for** **Cotè, Trevor, and Gadeloth.**

* * *

 **Falia Oakarm (14) D7F**

My eyes glittered as I took in my surroundings. Everywhere about me there was luxuries to be seen. There were candy stores, toy stores, stuffed animal stores, even stores dedicated to drinks. I wanted to see and do everything the Capitol had to offer, but I also didn't. I couldn't stop myself from thinking about the people back home who wouldn't see this much wealth in their life, or realizing that none of the stuff really mattered. I could get all the candy I wanted, just to rot my teeth before the Games. I could get hundreds of toys to be thrown away in the Capitol, left behind when my token was a bracelet. There was no point in going to all of the stores except having some fun, but the fun was dampened until it became worthless. I was probably just in a bad mood at that moment, but no matter the reason, I didn't go to the stores.

As I stared at my surroundings, a group of people went by near me. I watched them as they traveled, seeming intent on reaching a certain place. They were probably going to a specific store they liked, or a new movie, but I was curious anyways, so I followed them. They didn't seem to notice me, they were so engrossed in getting to where they were headed. I got to walk behind them casually, not bothering to hide or pretend to be doing something else.

When the people finally reached their destination, I was greeted by a flurry of bright colors and balloons. There was candy everywhere, just like in the rest of the Center, except this candy wasn't priced or even kept behind glass. People were racing around, laughing and screaming, and there were performers everywhere. People were breathing fire, or swallowing swords, or juggling knives. My eyes were pulled from place to place as quickly as I could recognize what I was looking at, and thankfully, someone noticed my awe. "What is this place?" I asked the man as he walked over.

"It's a party, darling," he said with a smile. "We do something like this every year, to celebrate the Games. We usually keep it secret, since it's more fun that way. A thousand people, tops. You're our only newcomer this year. How did you get here, anyways?"

"I followed someone," I said, confused at what was happening. "Besides, I think I belong here. I am a tribute, after all."

"Oh! Of course, tributes are allowed here. We don't usually see them, since we don't advertise, but it's lovely to have you. I hope you enjoy the festivities." He walked off after saying that, drawn to another group of people who were beckoning him over. That left me to my thoughts, admiring everything around me again.

 _Getting a bunch of stuff would be useless,_ I thought to myself, not really wanting to be drawn in by everything around me. I wanted to be mature and thoughtful, not some little kid. _But then again, you're getting an experience here, not just stuff. It's fine._ My logic wasn't necessarily perfect, but I didn't care. I wanted the experience, so I stopped myself from arguing against my logic and went to watch the firebreathers.

* * *

 **Gabriel Welson (16) D9M**

Sickles were calling my name in the Training Center. They were safe; I already knew how to work them, so I didn't have to worry about embarrassing myself by messing up. If I knew the basics, as I did, it would be much easier to become great at it then it would be to learn another, entirely new weapon. My mind urged me to go to scythes and my pride did, but I couldn't. I couldn't let all of the other tributes know one of my biggest strengths; it had to stay between me and my allies. I had to go to a different station, and I knew exactly where I was headed.

If I wasn't going to work on my weapons of choice, I could work on survival while I considered how to defend myself. There were lots of survival stations in the Training Center, which meant I had to prioritize. I knew I could last a long time without food; I had seen the people in Nine without it. Sure, they got some scraps, sometimes from me, but they still didn't have much. If they could life off of that little for years, I could live off of nothing until I found something safe. The main problem was choosing between shelters or water. I could theoretically last weeks without shelter, but depending on the Arena it could be a matter of hours. I could last three days without water in most Arenas, but if it was a desert it would be hours, and if it was only snow I could find water everywhere. Either option could cost my life or save it.

In the end, I went for the station I knew I would need. I had to learn how to purify water if I wanted any chance at living. I just had to hope that my lack of shelter knowledge wouldn't be the end of me. I watched as the assistant pulled out pictures of ways to purify water, from simple fires to complicated atom-splitting. I wasn't certain why splitting atoms was an option, but I wasn't interested in learning that. Instead, I decided to try to learn how to make a basic solar still.

A solar still required little effort, but a bit of supplies. I needed two containers, one of which had to be clean, a plastic sheet, and a bunch of rocks. The rocks wouldn't be hard to get, but it would be hard to find containers and a sheet in an Arena. If I wasn't sponsored them, and I didn't get them in the Cornucopia, making a still would be hopeless. On the off-chance that I got all of the needed supplies, finishing the still would be easy. I had to get water, which the Arena would probably have plenty of, even if it was filthy, and put it in one container. Then I dug a hole, placed both containers in said hole, and put the plastic over the hole, holding it down with rocks. I put a rock over the clean, empty container, waited for a while, and got clean water. It was simple evaporation.


	30. (ツ)

**Cole Sterling (18) D10M**

The Capitol was huge. It was bigger than I had expected, even bigger than I had thought to imagine. The Training Center alone, which was only one room, was bigger than my house. It was even bigger than Mr. Beef's house, and he had one of the biggest houses in Ten. That was just one room of one floor of the building. I guessed that the entire Games Building probably cost more than everyone in Ten had combined. While I was on my way to the Capitol, I had worried that I might get bored each day once the training time was over, but I didn't have to worry about that. I had almost as much room in that building as I had in Ten.

Of course, I trained during the training day. I recognized that training was important, and I wasn't fully aware of how big the Games Building really was. Once the training day let out, and we were supposed to goof off, I was greeted by something like I had never seen before. I spent a good thirty seconds just staring around myself in awe, trying to comprehend everything I was seeing. There were items of luxury everywhere, from fountains to fancy trash cans, and I didn't want to forget any of it. If I got home, I would have a legend to tell.

Once I had recovered from my stunned state, I walked around the first floor I happened to be on, looking in all of the stores and deciding what do to. There were tons of stores, from candy to toys, and I went inside all of them. I ate some candy from the candy stores, from cotton candy to lollipops with bugs in them, and I got a stuffed bear, which I left on my bed. It would probably be cleaned from my room before next year, but I could always hope that I left a nice present for the next tribute.

A growling in my stomach pulled my adventures short. I stopped looking around aimlessly and headed for a restaurant. There was food everywhere, but none of it was real food. There was ice cream, popsicles, and slushies, but actual filling, caloric food was nowhere to be found. I went to the next floor and found a bunch of restaurants, which I figured was a terrible business move, but I was happy to have food. I selected a fancy buffet to dine at, and sat down to eat.

Buffet means all you can eat. It doesn't mean "Fill your plate, eat, leave," it means "Fill your plate, eat, fill it again, repeat as needed." Naturally, that was a challenge. I grabbed a plate, filled it with food, and ate. I had noodles, meat on a stick, buns, shellfish, meat strips, and shrimp. Then I filled my plate again and ate everything on it again.

My waitress stared at me in amazement as the pile of plates on my table grew. I had six plates that I had devoured, and I was still going strong. She took the plates from my table, and I filled another plate. I could hear her muttering under her breath, but I had nothing to be ashamed of. That was the most I had ever eaten in one meal.

Plate number seven was my final plate. I could not force any more food inside of my body. I smiled at my conquest - seven whole plates! - and noticed the ice cream machine in the corner of the building. It only had three flavors, which I found surprising, especially since they weren't fancy flavors. There was vanilla, chocolate, and swirl. Naturally, I got one bowl of each. I wasn't done yet.

* * *

 **Mara Allouette (15) D10F**

As soon as training was over, I headed to my room. I had spent my training time boxing and working on agility, which meant climbing ropes and working out my arms. I was sore all over, and I just wanted to relax before I relived it the next day. I flopped on my bed, sprawled out and nearly covering the entire surface, as large as it was, before rolling over to take a shower. I turned the water hot, to fill my room with steam, before turning down to a tolerable temperature and actually stripping down and getting in.

The shower was calming, and it soothed my muscles a little bit. I washed off, enjoying the feeling of having all my gathered sweat off of me, and thought. We joked in our family that our best thoughts came in the shower, knowing that in some cases it was true, but we didn't have long enough showers for that to happen to us. Now that my shower time wasn't limited, I could think about everything I wanted to. For the first ten minutes my thoughts were jumbled, random things rushing about once I wasn't blocking them to focus on training. After the initial rush was done, though, I actually got some good thoughts. I realized that I had to focus on more than boxing and agility. I decided to focus on poisonous plants and animals the next day, giving my body time to rest and learning something interesting. The thought settled again that I was about to go into a fight to my death. _I'm about to go into the Games and I'm going to get lost and I'll be stuck and gonna die, die, die..._

I slapped the knob of my shower back, turning it off. I couldn't let myself freak out like that. If letting my thoughts run free made me anxious, I would just have to monitor my thoughts. I dried off as soon as I exited the shower, due to some fancy Capitol machine, and got dressed, enjoying my steam-filled room that was warmer than my shower water in Ten. I lied down on my bed again, fully dressed and clean, and was surprised to hear my stomach rumbling. I hadn't thought about actually eating between training sessions.

A nifty little menu was set on the table by my bed. I picked it up and looked through everything it offered. There were ten types of bread alone, and thirty types of soup. I wrote down everything I was interested in, knowing that I didn't have to pick one item. I could have every item I wanted. I selected four breads, six soups, eight desserts, and one meat. I wasn't sure what everything was, but I ordered it and waited the few minutes before the food was delivered to my room.

An amused Avox walked into my room, pushing a cart full of food. She took the tops off of bowls of soup, put a basket of bread in the middle of the tray, gestured to the trays of dessert on the bottom of the cart, smiled, and left me to look at everything I had ordered. The cart was covered with a week's worth of food, and there was no way I was going to eat it all. I was going to eat a lot of it, though, and it was going to be fun.

The first object I ate was bread. I dipped it in my soup and put it in my mouth. When I bit in, it started crunchy, then got soft in the middle. It wasn't sure if it was badly cooked or just a style, but I assumed it was a style and continued eating. Then I moved to the banana bread and ate it with a soup, not dipping it in the soup, but eating them separately. I proceeded to eat each bread with two soups, finishing both items at the same time. Really, I decided I was done with each food I finished. I never completely finished a food, always saving some room for the next.

Lobster, the meat I ordered, was supposedly ridiculously expensive and fancy. I put on the fancy napkin that was provided with the meal before cracking my lobster open with giant lobster crackers, amazed at how complicated eating something so small was. I had to tear it ligament from ligament before cracking it. I dipped it in butter sauce before eating it, surprised to find that I actually liked seafood.

Upon finishing my lobster I turned to the desserts. I had pies, ice creams, mousse, gelato, and some even fancier stuff I didn't recognize. I ate a bite of each, deciding which one was the best and which was the worst, then ordered them accordingly. I ate the worst first, which was flan, and worked my way towards a plate of fruit caviar, which were delightful bubbles of juice that popped in your mouth. I didn't finish my dessert, but I made a good dent.


	31. (ツ) (ツ)

**Through this chapter, everyone who is written in the same TRAINING chapter is in an alliance. Next up (the chapter after this) is loners.**

* * *

 **Tatiana Kokolo (17) D11F**

Training was amazing. Although I usually hated the daytime, I didn't regret waking up for training. I got to spend my entire time learning how to hunt, learning how to be more like my friends. I got to learn the talents they had instinctually. I was taught which prey to hunt and which animals I should avoid. Deer, as timid as they seemed, were dangerous, I was informed, and many carnivores had good meat. I even learned kill spots and damage spots on animals, and hoped they were the same on humans. I could learn proper fighting later, but I still hoped I had inadvertantly gleaned some extra useful knowledge.

As much fun as training was, I was still happy when it let out. It was nice to be able to go to my room and collapse on my bed, petting my ears and curling into a little ball. The sheets on my bed were soft and off-putting, just like the squishiness of the mattress, but I knew I could deal with it. I would fall asleep more easily on a soft bed, as I had learned from multiple annoying experiences, and it was warmed in my bed underneath the blankets. I felt like a wimp, huddling in my nest of warmth, but even wolves liked being warm.

Once I had slept for the hours necessary to pass before dark, I got up. I could only sleep for so long, and the noise of the others coming to go to sleep woke me up. I slowly dragged myself from my warmth, my valuable, valuable warmth, and put my wolf ears back to their proper place. They had shifted to the side of my head, giving me two ears on side and none on the other, and I couldn't have that.

When I had decided that my appearance was acceptable, and I was ready to leave my room, I did. I walked the halls of the Games Building, then went up the steps. I had to go up multiple flights of stairs, not bothering to count them. I could feel the air get warmer as I rose up, and I remembered that heat rose. The floors got hotter and hotter, every piece of warmth that wasn't flitting through any openings in the building gathering up top, until I was greeted with the coolness of the open air.

Up on top of the Games Building, the tallest building I had ever been in, I could really feel the sky. I felt like I could reach up and touch the stars, pulling them close to me. More importantly, I was closer to the moon than I had ever been before. I put my hand up, reaching out to this thing that had led us for centuries, saddened that my friends would never get this experience. They never got very close to the moon, always staying on the ground. It was awful, but there was nothing I could do to change it.

Sitting down, I howled. Usually my howls were bright and yappy, one of the reasons the wolves didn't like me. This time, though, my howl was low and mournful. I got one of the best things a wolf could ever experience, and I wasn't even one of them. I was just a member of the Pack in my mind, not in theirs. One of them should have been on that roof, howling out brightly. It should have been the leader of the pack there, leading his pack to the brightest spot in the sky, but instead it was just me, trying to find some way to make things right.

* * *

 **Tarabel Aspen (17) D12F**

Training was fun. Training was hard. Rarely did the two meet, but training was one of those situations. Working with my knives, repeating my training of where to strike, slash, or stab, I got to feel at home again. Feeling at home hardly made me feel any safer than I did in the Games Building, but it made me more comfortable, which I appreciated. I wasn't exactly scared to be going to the Games, but I was slightly nervous, and I didn't look forward to having to kill so many people. Working with knives let me forget about that for a while as I fell back into the old patterns and steps I had gone through so many times at home.

After a while, though, working with knives got boring. I dropped my knife suddenly, making the assistant I was working with take a step back in surprise. He looked at me for a couple of seconds, deciding what to do and whether to strike, while I exited the ring. The assistant stared at me, dumbfounded, and the main knife trainer tried weakly to stop me, saying something about not being able to walk away from a fight. I could walk away from a fight if I dang well pleased, though, and I wasn't about to let some puny Capitolite stop me. Seeing my determination, the Capitolite stopped, still seeming surprised that I would just leave so abruptly.

I was somewhat familiar with all the tributes in the Games. I couldn't know them very well, but I observed them on the train, and I watched their Reapings. I knew which tributes I was interested in allying with, for any of various reasons, but for the moment, I knew which tribute I wanted to talk to. Certain tributes were more open than others, and I didn't want to waste my time trying to crack open a boring tribute. Instead, I made my way to the water station, where Gabriel was working. "I'm bored."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Gabriel looked up at me, distrust clear in his expression. "I'm trying to train."

"I figured we could talk a little. You seemed fun," I replied, sitting down beside him. My nonchalance seemed to calm him a little, and his face brightened a bit. He untensed and turned to me.

"So... Water you doing?" he asked me, looking at the station we were at. He seemed mischevious, and I couldn't figure out why.

He kept staring at me while I said, "I worked with knives." His eyes widened a little and he waited for a response. _What is it? He just said 'what are you doing!'_ I wondered, trying to figure out why the heck he was staring at me. Finally, it clicked, and I started laughing. I laughed hard, gasping for air, somewhat embarrassed but not really caring.

My strong reaction must have surprised the other tribute, because he stared at me in great surprise. "All right, I suppose I should make more bad puns."


	32. Too Short Title Limit

**Hey! I am not going to have internet until this Thursday, so no updates until then ): Once I return I should go back to my odd schedule :P**

 **Again, ignore the little speech.**

* * *

 **Such Create, Many Wow**

The best things in the world were coming: BTRS QOKP IKXD. Everyone loved BTRS QOKP IKXD, from the youngest to the oldest. Even the Districts loved BTRS QOKP IKXD. Of course, 70 65 6f 70 6c 65 20 64 69 65 64, which stank, but it was inevitable. When certain 52 61 6e 64 6f 6d 20 45 6c 65 70 68 61 6e 74 73 20 50 75 72 70 6f 73 65 6c 79 20 4f 76 65 72 72 61 6e 20 52 61 74 73 20 54 65 6d 70 6f 72 61 72 79 20 45 78 63 69 74 69 6e 67 20 52 65 6d 6f 76 61 6c 20 53 6f 63 69 65 74 79 began to be 48 75 6d 6f 6e 67 6f 75 73 20 55 64 64 65 72 20 47 72 65 61 74 20 45 70 69 63 20 54 65 72 72 69 62 6c 65 20 52 6f 74 74 65 6e 20 4f 64 64 20 4c 6f 73 65 72 20 4c 75 6d 70 73 20 53 6f 6d 65 74 69 6d 65 73, we all 52 65 61 64 20 45 78 63 69 74 69 6e 67 20 54 61 6c 65 73 20 41 62 6f 75 74 20 4c 69 6f 6e 73 2c 20 49 67 75 61 6e 61 73 2c 20 41 6e 74 73 2c 20 54 69 67 65 72 73 2c 20 49 6d 70 73 2c 20 4e 69 67 68 74 69 6e 67 61 6c 65 73 2c 20 47 6e 75 73 with 50 6f 69 6e 74 6c 65 73 73 20 4f 76 65 72 64 6f 6e 65 20 49 6e 74 65 72 65 73 74 69 6e 67 20 4e 6f 6e 73 65 6e 73 65 20 54 68 6f 75 67 68 74 2d 6f 75 74 20 4e 75 6d 62 20 54 65 72 72 69 62 6c 65 20 4c 69 76 65 6c 79 20 45 6e 63 72 79 70 74 65 64 20 53 65 63 72 65 74 20 53 6c 69 6e 67 73 20 50 72 6f 62 61 62 6c 65 20 4f 6d 6e 69 70 6f 74 65 6e 74 20 56 69 6f 6c 69 6e 73, leading to 48 61 74 65 20 41 6e 64 20 54 72 75 73 74 69 6e 67 20 45 61 63 68 6f 74 68 65 72 and 44 75 6d 62 20 49 6e 73 75 6c 74 73 20 53 6c 75 6e 67 20 44 69 72 65 20 41 6e 64 20 49 6d 70 6f 73 73 69 62 6c 65 20 4e 61 67 73 all around.


	33. Loners 1

**Totsuki Sugihara (16) D2F**

All during training, I was realizing how at home I felt in the Capitol. Lots of tributes were freaking out over the luxury the Capitol offered, which I was somewhat impressed by, but not nearly as much as the outer District kids. Other tributes were freaking out over how many things the Training Center offered, but it wasn't all that much in comparison to the Academy. Sure, it had some things the Academy didn't have, but nothing worth having a heart attack over. Most of the stuff it had that the Academy didn't have was random crud, like how to do CPR or help give birth. Somehow, I didn't think I needed any knowledge whatsoever of the latter to win the Games. Half of the tributes couldn't even get pregnant if they tried, and a good chunk of the other half was too smart to get pregnant before eighteen.

Instead of focusing on entirely random, useless information, I went to the edible and poisonous plants section. I felt like I might need a smidge of knowledge there in order to have any hopes of completing my plan. Knowledge of what plants would actually kill _might_ come in handy, after all. There were tons of plants to learn about, so I knew I had made the right choice. There was no way I would have randomly selected a deadly berry or root without learning a ton of them; the odds were it would simply do a little bit of harm, like a stomach-ache. While it was good to know to avoid those, it wasn't the information I sought after.

Many other tributes were at the edible plants station. Luna was there, which was annoying, because she glared daggers at me the entire time I was trying to learn some poisonous plants. So I didn't join the Pack. Sue me. The outer District kids just stared at us as Luna contemplated killing me and I pretended not to notice. They were probably worried that Luna would kill them, too, if they got close. I wouldn't mind if she killed them, but I wished she would stop staring at me. I considered dealing with the burn I would get from grabbing ivy and just chucking a handful at her. She wouldn't stare at me if I took out her eyes.

When the Training Center finally closed, allowing me to part from Luna without seeming like I was running away, I left to wander. I thought about Luna, and how I hoped with all of my heart that she would be the first I poisoned. I thought about the outer District kids, and how funny they were, thinking they had a good chance against Careers as strong as ours. I noticed some Peacekeepers out of the corner of my eye and waved at them, smiling brightly while I thought about my mother and brother, who were Peacekeepers themselves. They seemed to think nothing of me; I was just some kid. I thought a lot of them.

* * *

 **Twixton Delver (12) D3M**

True to her word, Tellie helped me find the biggest library in the Games Building. She made me train for the entire training day beforehand, which wasn't part of our deal, but I accepted it. It wasn't exactly changing her word, just adding stuff to it. She _did_ have a point when she reminded me that we had agreed that I needed a plan, and a plan hardly mattered without some knowledge of what my plan needed. She also reminded me repeatedly that I said I would learn things; I didn't state that I was considering learning them, or I might learn them.

I learned some interesting things during training, but I didn't necessarily remember them. It wasn't like a week of training was going to increase my chances very much, no matter how much I focused or memorized. There was simply only so much information I could pack into my brain about such a boring topic in a short period of time. I vaguely remembered some plants I could eat, but I didn't do much to keep them in my memory. Looking at all of the books in the library Tellie led me to was much higher priority.

The library was bigger than my house, which wasn't saying too much, but was still cool. It was twice as big as the District library, and it stretched beyond that. There were hundreds of books in it I hadn't seen, most of which were stuff like history and Capitoll propaganda, but books all the same. I walked through the room, just touching the spines of the books I looked at. Some of them had thick layers of dust from not being picked up for so long, and I felt like I was in an ancient world. I was one of the only tributes to enter the depths of the library, probably ever. There were only nineteen years that the Games Building had been around, after all.

After touching most of the books in the library, I picked up _Don Quixote._ It was some epic tale about a man who went off and decided to become a knight. The book was hardcover, with a gorgeous red-and-gold design on it. The design didn't seem to make anything; it was just a bunch of swirls, but I was still drawn in my it. I promptly sat down in one of the cushy Capitol chairs, reading for hours, flipping through page after page of adventure and battle. People came and went, many of who stared at me, since I was a tribute, but I paid them no mind. I barely even looked at them before getting back to my book.

Finally, the library started to close. I didn't want to leave, so I didn't. I just sat there while the librarian glared at me. I could deal with glaring. A Peacekeeper came over to me and said something about "disturbing the peace" and "sleep being necessary for healthy tributes," demanding that I go to my room. I didn't. Instead, I wedged myself into the chair, grasping my book tightly while the Peacekeeper slung me over his shoulder and carried me to my room. As much as the librarian complained, I didn't drop my book. I also didn't get any sleep. _Dumb Peacekeeper._

* * *

 **Fletcher Kozlowski (18)**

Learning by observation is considered to be one of the better ways of learning. I had been taught how to box by watching matches as often as by having Luther explain to me how to punch. I got to see the stances and figure out how they worked to ensure I understood them. I got to watch how the punches were thrown, decide if they were rolled or straight, tell Luther if they were good or bad. That forced me to learn, not just hear, not just memorize. I knew which punches were the best to throw and which were the best to take. Luther made sure of that.

All of my knowledge crumbled before me when I decided to learn how to use brass knuckles. Brass knuckles were great, because they made my punches that much harder, so much so that they were often considered foul play in fights. I didn't much value fair play in the Hunger Games, but I appreciated the knowledge that even gangs didn't always like brass knuckle users. The problem with the knuckles was the fact that they used an entirely different fighting style than what I was used to. I had to hold my fists differently, hold my body differently, throw my punches the exact way I had been taught to avoid throwing them. In order to improve my skills, I had to throw away all of my knowledge.

That being said, my training day was rather stressful. I had to force myself not to slip into old habits and throw punches straight-on, curving my blows instead. I had to make sure my fingers didn't touch in the fist. I could hardly learn anything with how much I was trying to force myself to break old habits. I was pretty excited when the training day let out, so I could calm down for a while without falling behind all the other tributes. Staying on top of my game was more important than trying to stay calm.

" ** _John Jones Fighting TONITE in the Games Building!"_** flashed a sign right above where I was walking. I wasn't sure where they said it was in the Games Building, since the sign was in the Games Building, but it led me to where I wanted to be all the same. I was finally allowed to slip back into my Six mindset, just watching the pros throw their punches. I didn't gasp when the rest of the crowd did; the punches that looked the worst often hurt the least. Instead I analyzed which punch was truly the worst, which one shouldn't have been thrown at all. It was the best part of my day by a long-shot, just thinking of my old coach and what he showed me.


	34. More Loners

**Raze Hirohito (15) D6F**

Training was good. I needed all the training I could get if I was to have any chance at survival. I was one of the lucky tributes in that I didn't need to worry about self-defense like the other kids, but that didn't mean it would be an easy fight to the top. Just fighting wouldn't win you the Game, as Doppler insisted. I, personally, thought it was definitely a defining factor, but Doppler repeated time and time again that I had to be alive to fight. He was right, but it was still annoying that I couldn't just fight to the top. Actually using logic wasn't what Six had prepared me for.

With Doppler's advice, I went to the survival stations. I sat down and worked on how to make fish hooks. The most basic hook I learned about hardly involved anything. The steps were written out extremely simply, and there weren't very many of them. _Get wood. Sharpen ends of wood. Make ring around middle of wood. Tie string to wood. You have fish hook._ I could do that no problem! Or so I thought. It could be difficult to find wood, according to the assistant. She, too, was right, but I wasn't focused on learning how to find wood. I was focused on learning how to sharpen it.

"Anything can be used to sharpen wood!" the assistant told me, smiling brightly. She held outr a series of sharp objects, from smashed rocks to knives. I had learned at that point that no items would be easily found in the Games. Instead of taking the items she offered, I worked on sharpening the hook with my fingernails. The assistant paled noticably, but I didn't really care. I had to be able to sharpen the wood whether or not I had items on me if I was going to have a chance.

That little story is how I came to be in my room with hugely bloody, sore fingers. As it turns out, sharpening wood turns it into little splinters, which are easily caught in fingers and under fingernails. I was delighted to be able to sit in my room and relax, microwaving what the Capitol called "popcorn." I did not use the popcorn button, which seemed to have no use, as the popcorn bag told me not to. Instead, I waited patiently for the "popcorn to sound done," whatever that meant.

Popcorn pops. It suddenly popped loudly, sounding not far from a gunshot. I ducked under my bed and curled into the fetal position, trying not to scream. The popcorn continued popping, and I continued biting my lip, until I realized that it was just the popcorn. _This thing should come with a warning..._ I found the bag and read it again, promptly being informed that I should stop cooking the corn once I waited two seconds between pops. I figured I could last through fake shots for that long.

* * *

 **Trevor (18) D11M**

The Training Center had hundreds of things to choose from. There were so many things I couldn't possibly imagine choosing just a couple to learn from. Of course, I knew it was important to do so, since I wouldn't be able to remember everything if I went everywhere. My problem was, tons of the stations seemed important, and many seemed vital. What if I didn't learn how to make shelters and it was a snow Arena? What if I didn't learn which berries to eat and there was only berries in the Arena? I couldn't possibly figure out which survival stations were the most important, but I did know one thing I would definitely need.

Weapons were always necessary in the Arena. Of course, they could be anything from big rocks to a bow-and-arrow, but any Victor had a weapon. I walked over to the weapons station, trying to select a weapon that was good for me. Since I had a long reach and I figured I could swing pretty well, having decently strong arms, I picked up a sword. I didn't know the first thing when it came to swords, but that was the purpose of training. I had everything to learn, and the assistant had everything to teach. He smiled at me when I picked up the big weapon, picking up a matching one of his own.

"A sword is a very powerful weapon when wielded correctly. It improves you reach, and it can do a lot of damage. Unlike knives, you could stick someone through entirely with this. The problem is, it's difficult to know how to use a sword. You've chosen a rather long sword, providing you high range but low manueverability," the assistant said, demonstrating how hard it was to swing the sword with precision. "However, even with the lower maneuverability, a sword this long is hard to get past. You should be able to have decent skills in your time here."

Widening his stance slightly, the assistant showed me how to swing the sword. "It's important your enemy doesn't get within your swing," he explained. "If he does, you won't be able to strike well, but he probably will. Don't be afraid to mess with your opponent psychologically while you work. In most cases, it's better to be underestimated than overestimated, but sometimes intimidations works nicely. You have to use your judgement to figure out what's best in every situation. Make sure to think fast, though, as every second counts in a swordfight."

While the assistant explained the basics, I considered my options. Most people wouldn't underestimate me, due to my size, so with everyone other than the Careers I would probably have to try and intimidate them. With the Careers, I just had to hope that I didn't run into them, and if I did, hope that they were cocky enough to think I was completely hopeless. Sure, I wouldn't be the strongest fighter the Careers ever met, but I wasn't hopeless. Cocky Careers are their own downfall.

* * *

 **Gadeloth Grinsley (18) D12M**

I laughed as I entered the Training Center. All of the kids there were trying so hard to learn something that could give them a chance at winning. Instead of enjoying their last days, like any smart person would have, they tried to reman optomistic, thinking maybe they had a chance. The problem with being optomistic was you were either right or sadly disappointed, and these kids were in for the disappointment of their lives. I would go so far as to say their final disappointment. No outer-District little kid was going to win these Games, and even the Careers were going to have a hard time. They didn't know who they were up against.

Eyes were trained on me as I made my way to the scythe station. They were probably surprised by how calm I was. I had no reason to be worried, though. Morals were for the weak, and I was one of maybe eight people in the room who actually had skills. I was one of probably six in the room actually willing to kill. Not all Careers were heartless like we thought, and there was a good chance the two numbers didn't have much overlap. I was one of the only people there able to kill both physically and mentally, meaning I was one of the only competitors. Most of the people saw the others as competition, but I just saw them as some fun.

Many people didn't bother watching me once I was started. Only one Career watched, a scout elected to learn fewer skills, but she would be an information bank. She seemed annoyed at her task, but it was a good one. She didn't seem to realize how important being a scout really was, even if the other Careers only elected her to the task because they thought they could push her around. They couldn't kill her as long as they needed her. She was indispensable. She stared intently at me, the only one other than some outer-District kid, and glared. I took my scythe to the dummy, over and over again, relishing the gasp that came from the outer-District wimp.

Some people would say I shouldn't make myself a target, but it wasn't like I had to fear the Careers. I wasn't scared of anyone. I was just enjoying the feeling of my scythe ripping my dummy apart, looking forward to when it sank into flesh. The stuffing wasn't nearly as delightful to watch fly as blood. It didn't scream like humans would. It was calmer than Tarabel would be when I got my hands on her. I still wasn't certain what I would do to her, but I knew she would be my favorite victim.


	35. Private Session Report

**PRIVATE SESSION REPORT**

 **HEAD GAMEMAKER: DRACO STILLETO**

 **GAMES: 19**

 **TRIBUTES:**

* * *

 **DISTRICT ONE MALE**

 **NAME:** Uriah Chance

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Boomerang, Hand-to-Hand

 **ASSESSMENT:** Uriah showed great skill with the boomerang, often hitting the target. He clearly had experience from his District. His hand-to-hand combat was acceptable, but it was clear he focused on the boomerang more. He took down the harder assistant, but it took a deal of time.

 **STRENGTHS:** Boomerang, hand-to-hand, confident

 **WEAKNESSES:** Not too physically strong, not the best Career, other Careers will likely look down on him

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Clean slate

 **ODDS:** 10:1

 **SCORE:** 8

 **NOTES:** Uriah never went to the Academy. One likely won't sponsor him.

* * *

 **DISTRICT ONE FEMALE**

 **NAME:** Annika Knight

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Throwing Knives

 **ASSESSMENT:** Annika showed great talent with her knives. She hit the target the majority of the time, adding some flair to certain throws.

 **STRENGTHS:** Throwing knives, confidence

 **WEAKNESSES:** Overconfident, doesn't understand importance of simplicity

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Annika shows clear scars over the disappearance and possible death of her sister. She blames herself for it, and is always on guard against accidentally betraying another person.

 **ODDS:** 8:1

 **SCORE:**

 **NOTES:** What could you do?

* * *

 **DISTRICT TWO MALE**

 **NAME:** Chao Chiang

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Sword, knowledge of herbs, fire-making

 **ASSESSMENT:** Chao made fire to boil water upon entering the room. He then went to slicing dummies with his sword, which he did quite well. When he was done with that and had brought the water to a boil, he threw a bunch of herbs into the pot and offered us tea. We didn't drink it, but he did and he was fine.

 **STRENGTHS:** Sword, knowledge of herbs, fire-making

 **WEAKNESSES:** Chao seems less excited about the Games than many. He puts himself above others, which is good until the Careers kill him for it.

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Nothing bad, not much good

 **ODDS:** 10:1

 **SCORE:** 8

 **NOTES:** Do you really need to make tea in the Games?

* * *

 **DISTRICT TWO FEMALE**

 **DISTRICT TWO FEMALE**

 **NAME:** Totsuki Sugihara

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Climbing, Agility

 **ASSESSMENT:** Totsuki could climb adeptly. She scaled our rope courses, with the hardest one offering some difficulty, but the rest being fine. She could jump from course to course with apparent ease, as well as being able to leap up or down the course in particularly difficult parts.

 **STRENGTHS:** Climbing, agility, ruthlessness

 **WEAKNESSES:** Totsuki didn't join the Pack, making herself a likely target. She is extremely prideful and overconfident.

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** I got nothin'

 **ODDS:** 10:1

 **SCORE:** 8

 **NOTES:** What if our Arena isn't climbing? What _is_ our Arena?

* * *

 **DISTRICT THREE MALE**

 **NAME:** Twixton Delver

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Throwing knives

 **ASSESSMENT:** Twixton could, in fact, throw knives. He lacked accuracy, although he did occasionally hit the target. It was clear he knew he was doing badly, but he pretended he knew what he was doing anyways.

 **STRENGTHS:** Poker-face, weapons are intimidating, can aim a little

 **WEAKNESSES:** Can't aim much, Careers won't be intimidated, needs glasses

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Twixton doesn't like sunlight. It doesn't make him crazy, but it makes him weird.

 **ODDS:** 48:1

 **SCORE:** 3

 **NOTES:** Throwing knives is good, but it's better when you throw them at things.

* * *

 **DISTRICT THREE FEMALE**

 **NAME:** Ananova Nyan

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Bow and arrow, camouflage

 **ASSESSMENT:** Ananova did not show skill with the bow and arrow. Only two of her arrows hit the target, out of five. She seemed discouraged and moved to the camouflage section, where she painted a convincing flower on her arm.

 **STRENGTHS:** Camouflage, does know a weapon, has some accuracy

 **WEAKNESSES:** Still not much accuracy, camouflage doesn't help much, doesn't seem to have other skills

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Her grandma died or something and she stopped playing the piano. This won't affect her in the Games, but I had to put it in for some reason.

 **ODDS:** 40:1

 **SCORE:** 4

 **NOTES:** Who was that kid last year? She did camouflage really well, but who did it better?

* * *

 **DISTRICT FOUR MALE**

 **NAME:** Marlin Hasvak

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Trench knife

 **ASSESSMENT:** Marlin used our simulation machine to show his skills with the trench knife. He had great skills using it, easily fighting off all of the mutts that "attacked" him, though he didn't kill all of them.

 **STRENGTHS:** Trench knife, modest, Career

 **WEAKNESSES:** Could be seen as weak due to sister, getting rusty at skills, slower reflexes than many

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** While it is hard to pin down what exactly is wrong with Marlin, it is clear the death of his sister negatively impacted him. He shows less talent than we know he could be capable of.

 **ODDS:** 10:1

 **SCORE:** 8

 **NOTES:** She's dead, and now you might be too.

* * *

 **DISTRICT FOUR FEMALE**

 **NAME:** Luna Irika

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Spears

 **ASSESSMENT:** Luna could spear things. She threw her weapon quite well, always aiming it where it would kill, and usually hitting the spot.

 **STRENGTHS:** Knowledge of human body, spears, likely to attract sponsors

 **WEAKNESSES:** She's tall, making her an easy target to hit. She lacks knowledge of close-range weapons, and she couldn't hide if she tried.

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Clean

 **ODDS:** 10:1

 **SCORE:** 8

 **NOTES:** How is Irika pronounced? I'm imagining "Eureka!"

* * *

 **DISTRICT FIVE MALE**

 **NAME:** Cotè Fuller

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Knives

 **ASSESSMENT:** While I feared yet another knife-thrower, this child was a stabber. He showed basic knowledge of where to stab to cause pain and damage, although he went for the wrong place now and then, as well as hitting the right place and thinking it was the wrong place.

 **STRENGTHS:** Knives, not likely to be seen as a threat, no one will expect a stabber

 **WEAKNESSES:** No long-range weapons, isn't really a threat, physically small

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Clean as anyone else I've met

 **ODDS:** 10:1

 **SCORE:** 8

 **NOTES:** Ehhh you're cute for a fifteen-year-old

* * *

 **DISTRICT FIVE FEMALE**

 **NAME:** Alix Hessia-Rhine

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Daggers

 **ASSESSMENT:** Alix could use the dagger well enough to scare someone off. That doesn't require much skill, since daggers are intimidating. She didn't know proper stabbing techniques, or if she new them, she didn't implement her knowledge. She knew some vital spots, but not many.

 **STRENGTHS:** It's still a weapon, two last names, she thought somewhat quickly

 **WEAKNESSES:** Why bother with it, one first name, weak

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Why so many clean ones? Give me a psychopath.

 **ODDS:** 32:1

 **SCORE:** 4

 **NOTES:** Maybe actually train during training

* * *

 **DISTRICT SIX MALE**

 **NAME:** Fletcher Kozlowski

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Boxing

 **ASSESSMENT:** Fletcher could box. He beat the Avox we sent out in a couple of punches, but that Avox didn't know how to fight. We just didn't like him. He also beat the actual assistants while winking at the female Gamemakers. Ew.

 **STRENGTHS:** Willing to do what it takes (ew), boxing, strong

 **WEAKNESSES:** Clearly a threat, not likely to attract allies, can easily come off as creepy

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Clean

 **ODDS:** 10:1

 **SCORE:** 8

 **NOTES:** Seriously. Ew. We don't want to date tributes.

* * *

 **DISTRICT SIX FEMALE**

 **NAME:** Raze Hirohito

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Boxing

 **ASSESSMENT:** Raze could box. Rather than using the classic style Fletcher showed, she fought dirty, often hitting below the belt and scratching or clawing. She wasn't afraid to hit an opponent while down if necessary, and due to that, she beat the assistant.

 **STRENGTHS:** Will do what it takes, knows how to fight, isn't easily intimidated

 **WEAKNESSES:** Harshness means she won't attract sponsors, will be seen as a target, more brawns than brains

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Normal (Is clean normal?)

 **ODDS:** 12:1

 **SCORE:** 7

 **NOTES:** What are the odds of having two boxers in one year?

* * *

 **DISTRICT SEVEN MALE**

 **NAME:** Denver Crane

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Plant knowledge, knot-tying, fire-making

 **ASSESSMENT:** Denver knew many types of plants. The ones he wasn't certain about he used logic to decide on, by looking at shape, color, and texture. His knots weren't perfect, but they could be used if needed. His fire took a while to start, but it did start, and he made it grow to a good size.

 **STRENGTHS:** Knows plants, can start a fire

 **WEAKNESSES:** He shouldn't start a fire, is easily distracted

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Bleh

 **ODDS:** 15:1

 **SCORE:** 6

 **NOTES:** Squirrel!

* * *

 **DISTRICT SEVEN FEMALE**

 **NAME:** Falia Oakarm

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Knives

 **ASSESSMENT:** Falia could easily maneuver her knives however she found necessary. She made small cuts and large cuts, quickly finding the easiest places to stab or cut through entirely. She showed how easy it was to remove a finger if necessary.

 **STRENGTHS:** Knives, knowledge of human body, quick thinking

 **WEAKNESSES:** Young, survival, easily angered

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** She doesn't show real anger issues. She's just easily angered.

 **ODDS:** 32:1

 **SCORE:** 4

 **NOTES:** Stabby McStabface

* * *

 **DISTRICT EIGHT MALE**

 **NAME:** Giovanni Cancri

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Sword, scissors

 **ASSESSMENT:** Giovanni could use the sword quite well, defeating our medium-level sparring partner and holding his own against our medium-hard partner for a while. He used to scissors creatively, showing that they could cut through flesh, but they could also gouge or remove eyes.

 **STRENGTHS:** Creative, scissors, swords

 **WEAKNESSES:** Protective of others, clearly cares about allies, not the best at swords

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Healthy

 **ODDS:** 10:1

 **SCORE:** 8

 **NOTES:** Yes, but will we give him scissors during the Games?

* * *

 **DISTRICT EIGHT FEMALE**

 **NAME:** Nigella Coriander

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Spears, edible plants, water

 **ASSESSMENT:** Nigella could use the spears with some accuracy, knowing where to stab and where to avoid. She could find edible plants well, knowing which ones were poisonous of memorization and water. She used basic water purification, which would work, but not necessarily perfectly.

 **STRENGTHS:** Spears, edible plants, water

 **WEAKNESSES:** She couldn't use the spears *that* well, she was rather impatient, not very strong

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Why do I even bother?

 **ODDS:** 15:1

 **SCORE:** 6

 **NOTES:** Nothing of much importance.

* * *

 **DISTRICT NINE MALE**

 **NAME:** Gabriel Welson

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Sickles, edible plants, gauntlet

 **ASSESSMENT:** Gabriel used his sickle well, decapitating dummies and ripping stuffing out. He made it obvious he could have used more practical weapons, but he knew that way was more impressive. He used his gauntlet efficiently. He didn't do perfectly on the edible plants test; he got 28 of the 40 questions he answered right.

 **STRENGTHS:** Sickle, gauntlet, used to weather

 **WEAKNESSES:** Could easily poison himself, not used to long-range weapons, doesn't know how to climb

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Nothing

 **ODDS:** 12:1

 **SCORE:** 7

 **NOTES:** So what's winter like in Nine? Is there snow?

* * *

 **DISTRICT NINE FEMALE**

 **NAME:** Demi Ryea

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Knives, spears

 **ASSESSMENT:** Demi could use knives quite well, knowing where and how to stab as well as some proper throwing techniques. She usually hit the dummy when throwing. Demi's spear skills were sub-par, often missing when she threw. It seemed as though she wanted to use throwing knife techniques on the spear.

 **STRENGTHS:** Knives, quick thinker, could get food

 **WEAKNESSES:** No knowledge of the spear would be better than bad knowledge, only one weapon, curious

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Nada. Zilch. Zip.

 **ODDS:** 12:1

 **SCORE:** 7

 **NOTES:** So, do you make sure the spear does a certain number of rotations in the air?

* * *

 **DISTRICT TEN MALE**

 **NAME:** Cole Sterling

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Sword

 **ASSESSMENT:** Cole could use his sword well. He easily parried attacks and he knew when to slice and when to stab. He used a medium-level partner, showing that he either doubts his skills or doesn't want to be prideful.

 **STRENGTHS:** Swords, likely not overconfident

 **WEAKNESSES:** No apparent survival knowledge, could easily be underconfident

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Nothing

 **ODDS:** 10:1

 **SCORE:** 8

 **NOTES:** Another Stabby McStabface

* * *

 **DISTRICT TEN FEMALE**

 **NAME:** Mara Allouette

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Agility, Throwing knives

 **ASSESSMENT:** Mara was very agile, easily making her way through our obstacle courses and avoiding many things we threw at her to make our course harder. Her throwing knife skills could use perfecting, but she knew where to aim and she sometimes hit where she aimed.

 **STRENGTHS:** Throwing knives, agility, not likely to be seen as a target

 **WEAKNESSES:** Throwing knives could use work, physically small, lack of general weapon knowledge

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Boring

 **ODDS:** 24:1

 **SCORE:** 5

 **NOTES:** Try to hit the target, not the wall

* * *

 **DISTRICT ELEVEN MALE**

 **NAME:** Trevor

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Hand-to-hand combat, Swords

 **ASSESSMENT:** Trevor showed little skill in hand-to-hand. He did know the basics, but not much beyond that, and he was defeated by our medium-level trainer. His sword skills were much better, and he showed psychological techniques as well as just fighting, using intimidation to his benefit.

 **STRENGTHS:** Swords, intimidation, basic hand-to-hand

 **WEAKNESSES:** Definitely cannot fight hand-to-hand against others, intimidation won't work on everyone, no last name

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Clean

 **ODDS:** 7

 **SCORE:** 15:1

 **NOTES:** Do you have parents or did you come from a cabbage?

* * *

 **DISTRICT ELEVEN FEMALE**

 **NAME:** Tatiana Kokolo

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Being weird

 **ASSESSMENT:** Tatiana clearly has something off about her. She came into the room growling slightly and wearing one of those headbands with ears on it. She showed us a bit of how to hunt, smiling with pure joy on her face while hunting animals in our simulator.

 **STRENGTHS:** Not easily intimidated, can hunt, is used to the outside

 **WEAKNESSES:** Not likely to attract a single cent from anyone in Panem, is attracted to animals, doesn't know how to shut up

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Insane (finally!) Tatiana wants to be a wolf, so she acts like one. She seems aware that she's a human on the outside, but she believes she's a wolf on the inside.

 **ODDS:** 6:1

 **SCORE:** 10

 **NOTES:** I really hope the Capitol doesn't let you win.

* * *

 **DISTRICT TWELVE MALE**

 **NAME:** Gadeloth Grimsley

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Getting arrested before the Games start

 **ASSESSMENT:** Gadeloth entered the room and asked us for a disposable sparring partner, so we sent in that one Avox. As soon as the Avox entered the room, Gadeloth attacked it, slicing it repeatedly and nearly removing its fingers before killing it.

 **STRENGTHS:** Knows how to use knife, knows how to kill, is willing (excited?) to kill

 **WEAKNESSES:** Not going to attract allies, definitely a target, he doesn't seem the brightest

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Gadeloth shows signs of being a psychopath and possibly a sociopath. Clear signs.

 **ODDS:** 5:1

 **SCORE:** 11

 **NOTES:** Finally! An interesting tribute!

* * *

 **DISTRICT TWELVE FEMALE**

 **NAME:** Tarabel Aspen

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** N/A

 **ASSESSMENT:** Tarabel walked into the room, looked at us perfectly deadpan, and took a nap. We expected her to get up or say, "Kidding!" but she didn't. She stayed asleep during her entire session and walked out when her five minutes were done.

 **STRENGTHS:** Confident

 **WEAKNESSES:** Overconfident, doesn't take this seriously, gets on the Gamemakers nerves

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** She seems fine, but she's been known to commit murder

 **ODDS:** 1000000:1

 **SCORE:** 0

 **NOTES:** Maybe don't tick the Gamemakers off?


	36. Scores8

URIAH CHANCE: 8

ANNIKA KNIGHT: 9

CHAO CHIANG: 8

TOTSUKI SUGIHARA: 8

TWIXTON DELVER: 3

ANANOVA NYAN: 4

MARLIN HASVAK: 8

LUNA IRIKA: 8

COTE FULLER: 8

ALIX HESSIA-RHINE: 4

FLETCHER KOZLOWSKI: 8

RAZE HIROHITO: 7

DENVER CRANE: 6

FALIA OAKARM: 4

GIOVANNI CANCRI: 8

NIGELLA CORIANDER: 6

GABRIEL WELSON: 7

DEMI RYEA: 7

COLE STERLING: 8

MARA ALLOUETTE: 5

TREVOR: 7

TATIANA KOKOLO: 10

GADELOTH GRIMSLEY: 11

TARABEL ASPEN: 0

* * *

Uriah: _How did almost all of us get the same score?_

Annika: _I'm the best in the Pack?_

Chao: _We have a pretty even spread. We should keep an eye on Annika._

Totsuki: _I got the same as the other Careers? The heck? I'm way better than that._

Twixton: _I didn't get the lowest score, but I need to do better._

Ananova: _I'm not even the only four. A four's pretty good._

Marlin: _That's not as good as Serena. I have to do better._

Luna: _Don't our scores defy all statistics and probability?_

Cotè: _How'd I manage to do as well as the Careers?_

Alix: _It's probably best that I get a low score. The Gamemakers aren't too fond of me._

Fletcher: _I'm even with the Careers. That's good, but I have to be better._

Raze: _Boxing got me a seven? I'm a decent fighter, but a seven?_

Denver: _I got an average score for showing average skills. I should have learned a weapon._

Falia: _What? I was awesome with my knife, and I did worse than Denver?_

Giovanni: _There are a lot of eights this year. Did I do well or average?_

Nigella: _Six. Six is pretty good; it's right in the middle. I won't be a target._

Gabriel: _I'm just a little bit below the Careers? But they're also tied with Vanni. What's with the Gamemakers?_

Demi: _Two weapons got me a seven. One failure got me a seven. What did the Careers do to get eights?_

Cole: _An eight, just like almost everyone else. How are the sponsors going to pick this year?_

Mara: _I'm not the worst. Five people did worse than me. I need more than five._

Trevor: _A seven is a good score. A bit of strength and I'm considered almost as good as a Career._

Tatiana: _How the heck did I get ranked the second best? All I did was show off a bit with hunting_

Gadeloth: _I should have gotten a twelve. Other tributes have. It's clear I'm one of the most prepared tributes, probably ever._

Tarabel: _It's not like the scores matter. That was a nice nap._

* * *

 **Yeah, I just take the scores as they're given to me, since they don't really matter. You're the sponsors, unless I sponsor (which I do on occasion) in which case I still know the scores don't matter. The Gamemakers do whatever they want in my story. 8**


	37. Interviews

**Marcelene Chaplin (Capitol Interviewer)**

The cameras all pointed at me while I waited for Uriah to walk out. I was so preoccupied with looking like a perfect Capitol citizen, making sure my smile didn't drop for a second, that I almost didn't notice when Uriah walked out in a tux. _Well this year is off to a great start._ I couldn't get a clear reading off of just his outfit, so I went with something guaranteed to please. "So, Uriah, I hear you had some unconventional training for One. Would you care to explain?"

Uriah flashed a quick smile at the crowd before responding. I could easily see how nervous he was, but he had to hide that from the crowd, so I didn't comment. "Well, my dad trained me. I couldn't afford to go to the Academy, but my dad went there forever. I'm sure he knew as much as most of the trainers."

Annika came out wearing a gorgeous red dress. She also had heels, which were gorgeous, but she didn't need them. Unlike some kids I knew. However, I couldn't get a clear plan vibe off her either, so I had to keep going generic. "Annika, what's your plan for this Games?"

"Oh, things. I'm going to win, I know that much. I just have to last longer than others." That was the vaguest answer in the history of answers. She was probably supposed to be mysterious, but instead she was a blank slate.

Chao, much to my delight, was not wearing a tux. _One less stylist for me to slap._ He was wearing a dark-colored robe, which would have looked particularly nice on a girl, but I figured it had something to do with his background. He had an easy angle to pull off. "Chao, we heard you're more attached to your roots than most of us. Would you care to tell us some of your history?"

"I most definitely would," Chao replied, almost jumping out of his chair to talk. "I can't say everything, sadly, but I'll tell the most interesting part: The dragons." He gestured to a large dragon embroidered on his robe. "Despite what many people think, in China, dragons were a sign of good luck. There were beautiful creatures that were obviously quite rare, but a visit from one was the best thing anyone could hope for." It wasn't much of an angle, but it was interesting.

Totsuki's dress was sheer black with sparkles that gave off the image of edges. _Well that's gorgeous! This is Two?_ It was a pretty clear representation of an angle. "So, Totsuki, these Games should be in the bag for the Careers. Why didn't you join the pack?"

"I don't have to. They would only drag me down, and I'm not willing to sacrifice anything to help anyone else." It was an angle Totsuki had been directed to take; I was sure of it. It still spooked me, though, with how easily the statement seemed to roll off of her tongue, almost like it wasn't a lie at all.

 _Oh wow._ Twixton was wearing a brown suit and a brown tie, which was hideous _and_ uncreative. He was wearing sunglasses, though, which were sort of cute. _I wouldn't wear them, but I have options._ "Twixton, what do you enjoy doing here in the Capitol?"

"Do you know how big the Capitol library is?" A Peacekeeper groaned in the front row. "It's HUGE! There are tons of books there. I read on called _Don Quixote,_ and it was just fabulous! There's this guy who's a knight, but not really a knight, and he has to go on this huge adventure he's entirely unprepared for!" Twixton's personality disagreed with his outfit.

Nova was wearing a beautiful blue dress that shimmered as she walked onto the stage. She also had heels, which she needed, unlike Annika. Her dress was poofy, almost so big it engulfed her. "Nova, the Games can be pretty scary. How do you cope with the fear?" I didn't want to make her think about it, but I guessed it was her angle.

"I... I like to walk around the stores a... a bit. They're awfully pretty." She didn't say much past that. I couldn't tell if she was supposed to be scared or if she was truly terrified, but I decided it was better safe than sorry and got her off the stage as quickly as possible.

Marlin was not wearing a suit. For that I was grateful, and I looked past the fact that the floral shirt he wore was hideous and his lei was tacky. I assumed he was supposed to seem touristy, so I worked off of that. "What's the best thing you've seen so far in the Capitol, Marlin?"

For a second Marlin didn't speak, but after that time he blinked and shook his head. "I like the Training Centre, actually. It has tons of cool things!" His heart clearly wasn't in his statement, and he began to gently shake with what I assumed to be sobs. _Hasvak. He's a Hasvak._ I frowned at how awful the situation was.

When Luna walked onto the stage, I started to sense a theme. The girls had good outfits, the boys had bad outfits. Her dress was a short blue dress, and it too shimmered when she moved. That did not give off the aura of an angle, but I judged by her walk and facial expression. _I'm such a boss interviewer._ "Luna, what gives you an extra edge in these Games?"

"Well, Ms. Chaplin, I have had training like everyone else, but I go above and beyond with my experience... elsewhere." Sure enough, I had guessed her angl correctly. It didn't much matter with how good Luna was at being interviewed, though. _Could you try a little harder? I'm an interviewer, not a miracle maker._ I was not unhappy when Luna left the stage.

Cotè's outfit almost made me scream. _He's wearing a freaking tux._ His tux had a rose in the lapel, and I focused on that instead of his tux. Games questions were getting boring, so I went for something else entirely. "What did you do in your District?"

"I worked a lot with electricity. You might find that fact shocking, and it is quite the electrifying job, but it was pretty fun." _You missed a possible pun in there somewhere and I know it._ The audience loved his response, but I was too busy judging him to like it.

Alix continued the trend of good girl, bad boy when she came out with a lavender dress and a big purple hairbow. The bow was tacky, but the dress was cute. She had black shoes on, which I adored. _One less stylist to slap._ That actually did give me the angle, so I had interviewers to thank. "Alix, what have you been doing around the Capitol?"

"Well, I've been going around a lot and playing with all the cool shops. They have tons of chocolate shops here, and ice cream shops, and toy shops! I don't get any toys, because I'm not certain I'll come home, but I do get a lot of candy." Gasps came from all around the audience, and I had to admit Alix had done a decent job without forcing her angle in my face. _You go, girl._

Fletcher was _not_ wearing a tux, and I had to thank his stylist. He had a button-up shirt- which wasn't completely buttoned, I noticed- and dress pants. The shirt told me his angle, so I went with it. "Fletcher, you seem like you could be quite the casanova. Do you have a lady in your District?"

"I do! My fiancee, Jen, is definitely the love of my life. She pulled me out of my bad background- Six is riddled with crime, as we all know- and forced me to become a better man. I'm wearing her necklace," he said, lifting it slightly off his neck so I could see it more clearly. The audience gasped, and some people screamed, and I had to admit I was a bit touched as well. Even in the Capitol, he was thinking of his soon-to-be wife.

Raze's stylist was a bit more straightforward. She wore a red muscle shirt and shiny black pants, as well as a huge boxing belt. _Well, she is a boxer..._ That gave me the clearest angle I could possibly hope for, and I grasped my one good opportunity. "Raze, this is a rather exciting time for someone like you, I'm sure. How do you think you're going to win?"

"I'm going to win because I know how to fight." Raze did not seem to understand the process of an interview angle; I nearly facepalmed at how blunt that was. The crowd seemed just as confused as I was about her answer. _Do you even know what the Games are, girl?_

Denver's outfit was, by far, the most creative thing I had ever seen. It was, drumroll please, a brown tux. _Can't men wear things other than tuxes? What about dresses. Why can't men wear dresses?_ I hadn't the slightest idea of where he wanted to go with this, so I just automatically went something that could possibly get him sponsors. "What's your favorite thing about the Capitol, Denver?"

"There are lovely birds here," Denver replied, suddenly becoming completely animated. "I saw this one pretty one, I don't know why kind it was, but it was blue and pink with this gorgeous crest! I had never seen anything like it, but it was pretty!" _That's not exactly an angle, but hey, it's fun?_

Falia wore a striking silver dress that went down to her ankles. It started to poof at her waist, but the top left nothing to imagine. _Where'd she get a ribbon like that? I want a hair ribbon!_ "Falia, what's the weirdest thing that ever happened to you in the District?"

"Hm... That's a really hard question. I guess I'd have to say it was the one time this guy walked up to me with a coin and said he pulled it out of my ear. He wouldn't let me tell him it didn't come out of my ear, but that dang coin didn't come out of my ear!" _That's technically not not an angle, I suppose?_

Giovanni was one of the few blessed tributes this year. _It's not a tux! That makes like three!_ He had a red polo and khaki pants, and some weird black shoes which I didn't like but I couldn't hate. As long as it wasn't a tux, I loved it. "Giovanni, I hear you have one of the biggest alliances this year. Where will you fit into this?"

"Honestly, I think I'll be good as a leader. Many of the tributes in my alliance seem underconfident, and I want to be able to build them up to their full potential. I know they have more than they're showing me." The statement seemed true enough, coming from Giovanni. He was definitely a strong contender.

Nigella's outfit was rather pretty, although not conventionally. She had a rusty orange ballgown dress. _How do you even get that color?_ "Nigella, I heard you met a great Capitol director, one of our favorites. Don't ask how, news travels fast. What's your favorite movie of his?" That wasn't really an angle question, but I was curious.

"I'd have to say _All My Love,_ which you could say it earned from me. The movie really took my breath away, keeping me on my toes and always wondering about what would be around the corner." The audience laughed at the flurry of bad puns; a high heel model falling in love with a corner-store owner with lung cancer provided plenty of opportunity. I smiled at her. _That was quick thinking._

Gabriel's outfit earned a gasp from me. He was wearing a bright yellow sundress with pink sleeves. It seemed to upset him, but I didn't care. It was better than a tux, and I didn't see why men couldn't wear dresses anyways. _It is a pretty dress, too._ "Gabriel, what's your favorite part of the Capitol?"

"The Capitol has tons of food! Everywhere I go there's food. I'm certainly looking forward to coming back here and eating." _Ooh, smooth. The sponsors better send you some food because I sure can't._ Gabriel's angle wasn't clear to anyone, but I enjoyed talking with him all the same. _That is a pretty dress._

Demi styled a white dress with a beige coat. _Is that leather? How do you get beige leather?_ She also had beige boots. Beige wasn't my favorite color, but she wore it well. "Demi, what was life like back in the District? Everyone's dying to know how you became the Demi you are."

"Life in the District is just amazing," Demi began, waving her arms a bit to show just how amazing it was. "We got to make food for people - I worked in a diner - and it was the best food the District had. The pancakes we made were our best food, they were so fluffy and delicious! I'm not sure how we made them, but they were delicious!" _Well that was something._

Cole wore a grey tux. That had nothing to do with his name or District, nor did it make him look particularly nice. _I like the sundress better._ "Cole, what did you do with your spare time in the District?" _Were you a nice guy or as pretentious as that tux makes you look? Ugh. Tux._

"I spent a lot of time helping out my friends. They had a harder time with some things then I did, since they weren't as strong as I was," Cole said, smiling at the crowd. _Oh I see what you did there. That's called a humble-brag, and you need to stop._

Mara's outfit was actually pretty; it was a light blue dress with darker blue stripes. Of course, I knew where her angle was going off of the paleness, so I went with an innocence question. "Mara, what do you do when you get scared here?"

"I don't get scared. I'm going to be able win this thing and come back to thank the Capitol for my opportunity." _Yeah, no you're not, girl. What kind of angle is that?_ The crowd seemed as surprised as I did about her odd response. Outer-District kids didn't usually take the cocky route.

 _Oh my Snow, this needs to stop._ Trevor sported a black tux, which I never could have expected, and sunglasses. _Focus on the cute sunglasses, focus on the cute sunglasses..._ "Trevor, are you enjoying your time in the Capitol?"

"Yes."

"Do you think you can win the Games?"

"Yes." _How am I supposed to work with that, you little turd? Yes or no. Hmph. I need substance! I demand opportunirty!_ The audience, luckily, enjoyed the dark and mysterious aura. _What kind of idiots would like something like that? He said two words..._

 _What happened to you? Get mauled by a bear? Oh yeah this is Tatiana._ Tatiana wore a pretty blue dress - or, I assumed it had once been pretty. It was torn up to where it was hardly decent. "Tatiana, how do you plan to win these Games?"

"I'm the one here who's the most prepared for actually living outside, and I know animals quite well." _Well, you've got that right, ya weirdo._ I was far from upset when my interview with Tatiana ended. She was an interesting girl, but I did not need to spend time with that.

 _What is that THING?_ Gadeloth wore a tux, but I was too distracted with the coloration to think about the tux. It was white with red splotches. _Is he a butcher? A knight? A serial killer? Oh yeah..._ I was talking to the jerk who killed one of my favorite Avoxes. "Gadeloth, what is your worst weakness?" A glare greeted me. "Strength?" All I got was another glare. "Favorite weapon? What about why you'll win the Games?" As much as I didn't want him to get a good interview, I had to make him say something, or I wouldn't get good reviews.

"Oh? Why I'll win these Games? Because I'm one of the elite. I'm the only one here who understands that people are just toys with voice boxes, waiting to be torn apart. Ready to scream when touched in the wrong places, and there are a lot of wrong places. The human body is quite fragile, but strong enough that I can play with it for a long time." _I did not need that; let the Capitol deal with you._

Tarabel's outfit was a long black dress, which was not a tux. It had some rips in it, and I slowly figured out the aura they were supposed to give off. _I can play with that a bit._ "Tarabel, a lot happens in the Games. Do you think you'll be able to become a killer to win them?"

"Become?"

"Okay, do you think you'll be able to continue killing?" _Why do I get such weirdos?_

"Yes, I will. Ciao."

 _The interviews aren't over... Okay apparently they are._ Tarabel just left me, mid-interview, to try and close up the time. "All right, Capitol! These are your tributes this year. It's clear who's a sponsor go or a sponsor no, happy Hunger Games!" I had to keep going until the clock ended. _Dangit, Tarabel!_


	38. Into the Tubes

**First of all, Annika wore** **a strapless velvet gown with a sweetheart neckline. It starts off as light red then eventually ombres/fades into a darker red. She wears golden heels and golden jewelry, and her hair is twisted into a complex bun to the interviews. Once again, I wasn't going to smoothly incorporate that into a chapter.**

 **Secondly, these POVs are pretty short, but I wasn't worried about word count. I just wanted to get my point across.**

* * *

 **Extravagance Eleanor (D1 Mentor)**

Annika was cut-throat. I could easily see her comparing to Satin with her intensity and viciousness. She glared at me while she entered her tube, but I guessed it wasn't directed at me. Uriah was softer, and I didn't know how long he could hope to last in the Pack. I just waved.

* * *

 **Nero Graphite (D2 Mentor)**

Totsuki didn't deserve to be in the Games. Sure, she was strong, but she wasn't in the Pack and she wasn't a true Career. _There should be a Career Games..._ Chao was at least smart and honorable enough to join with the people who trained for the honor of teaming up with him. I nodded at him while he entered his tube.

* * *

 **Alesandro Ferme (D3 Mentor)**

Twixton got to wear his sunglasses into the Games, which surprised me. Other kids had been known to wear contacts. Nova didn't get anything except her token, but she didn't seem to mind the slight unfairness. She was too busy crying, and I quickly found myself busy comforting her.

* * *

 **Talaysa Pool (D4 Mentor)**

Marlin shouldn't have come to the Games. His heart wasn't in it. He was always upset about something. Luna was a fun tribute to work with, always smiling and listening to what I said, unlike that one Sebastian dude. I smiled and cheered them on while the tubes brought them up.

* * *

 **Sol Johnson (D5 Mentor)**

Cote really didn't deserve the Games. Alix didn't, either. Nobody did. Alix was near tears while she got into her tube, though she was trying to pretend she wasn't. That kid was a trooper. Cote was smiling one of the fakest smiles I had ever seen and talking about his eight. I didn't have the heart to remind him that everyone got an eight.

* * *

 **Doppler Corvair (D6 Mentor)**

For once, both of my tributes had a chance. I didn't bother giving them any last-minute advice; Fletcher had heard all of my spiels and Raze wouldn't be able to retain the information. Fletcher whooped as he got into the tube, but I knew he wasn't excited. He wasn't as scared as he should have been, but he wasn't excited.

* * *

 **Cassia Rose (D7 Mentor)**

I didn't know what to think about Falia. She thought she was strong, and she was, but not in the right ways. I knew Denver was a lost cause. He rambled on about how many types of bird were in each environment while the tube went up. I tried to hold in my tears until they were gone.

* * *

 **Rybbon Marbroox (D8 Mentor)**

Nigella was still star-struck by me when she went into her tube. She was smiling and waving, and I smiled right back. She didn't know what it had cost me to become this famous, but she was about to learn. Giovanni didn't pretend to be strong or fearless. He stepped into his tube slowly and stared off into the distance while it rose.

* * *

 **Flora Amfora (D9 Escort/Mentor)**

"All right, you two! Get ready to put on a good show for us, okay? Don't die or anything. Just smile a lot." Demi nodded a little, but she didn't really seem very happy. I didn't understand why; she got to be one of the most famous people in Panem! Gabriel was just really quiet when he entered his tube; he didn't even bother nodding.

* * *

 **Bessie Deere (D10 Mentor)**

Cole actually had a chance. I thought the same thing about Neb, but this was different. Cole was a different person. Mara had less of a chance, but I smiled at her and encouraged her anyways. She was scared enough without me pointing out how much stronger her District partner was than her.

* * *

 **Harvest Cormick (D11 Mentor)**

Trevor smiled weakly at me before entering the tube. He could have a chance, but he probably didn't. I forced myself to admit that early on. Tatiana got into the tube without a second thought, glaring at the glass but smiling nonetheless. She definitely had a chance, but I doubted if the Capitol would let her win.

* * *

 **Bellerophon Steed (D12 Escort/Mentor)**

Usually I pitied the kids who entered the tubes. Most of them didn't have a chance. I didn't pity Gadeloth. He deserved having someone try to kill him. What he did could finally bite him in the butt. At least Tarabel pitied me and pretended to want to learn. I hoped she would be all right. She needed to focus.


	39. ANOTHER UPDATE

**Hey! I am currently staying with family, and I intend to spend time time with them. This story isn't cancelled by any means, I just can't update yet.**

 **Again, ignore the little speech.**

* * *

 **What Even Is This**

Every day I spend without seeing the Games go on, I die inside. Not just becausof the terror - will my favorite tribute die - but because of the thrill. My favorite tribute remains one day farther from the Victory, which is rightfully theirs. Which they have earned. Which we don't care about. You're welcome.


	40. Countdown

**Still alive! I finally got back from my trip, so happy countdown.**

* * *

 **Gabriel Welson (16) D9M**

 _60... 59... 58... 57... 56..._

The Arena was cold, as each of the tributes must have noticed immediately. We were given light jackets, but it was clear some of the thinner ones of us would have to run in for the thick coats deeper inside the Cornucopia. I was lucky, being from Nine. At home the winters were awful, and while the Arena was definitely worse, it was nothing I couldn't handle.

* * *

 **Totsuki Sugihara (16) D2F**

 _50... 49... 48... 47... 46..._

 _Aw heck yeah!_ The Arena was a freakin' mountain. Most of the tributes probably couldn't climb if their lives depended on it, which they most definitely did. _I,_ on the other hand, was used to climbing. The coldness of the mountain was definitely a nuisance, but it didn't matter to me. The weather could chill me to my bones, and I would still be climbing away, going where no one could get me but I could attack with ease.

* * *

 **Raze Hirohito (15) D6F**

 _40... 39... 38... 37... 36..._

 _Frick, frick, frick, frick._ Of course, of all the people to put me next to, I was right between Fletcher and Luna. I wasn't always the sharpest bulb in the box, but I knew that being between a Career and a boxer, who probably knew my fighting style like the back of his hand, was bad news. The Bloodbath had lots of things I could really use, like a nice coat to stop the dang cold, but I couldn't worry about that. If Totsuki didn't distract Luna, I was toast. If I didn't grab a pack, I was toast. All I could do was hope.

* * *

 **Marlin Hasvak (18) D4M**

 _30... 29... 28... 27... 26..._

Luna was only a couple of spots to my side. She was also right next to my weapon of choice, a nice knife with knuckles attached to it. It was good for damage and pain, and while it was only close range, it was one of the best close range weapons there was. I caught her attention and pointed it out. I was running in for it, she needed to be my guard. Not all Careers were trustworthy, but I figured they would want me alive at least through the Bloodbath.

* * *

 **Gadeloth Grinsley (18) D12M**

 _20... 29... 28... 27... 26..._

Tarabel was three platforms to my left. I could cover that much ground in no time, but she probably could too. There were a lot of weapons in the Cornucopia, some of which were long range. If I could get one of those, I could slow her down. Sure, I couldn't work them perfectly, and I might accidentally kill her, but if my other option was letting her go, it was a risk I would have to take.

* * *

 **Tatiana Kokolo (17) D11F**

 _10... 9... 8... 7... 6..._

My ally was on my right, right next to me. Trevor was to my left. A nice coat was in front of me. Normally, my first instinct would have been to attack a bunch of younger kids and get them out of the way, but Tarabel insisted that if the Arena was cold we should "get at least a few supplies," and "worry about warmth before going on a killing spree." So while I should have been scanning for tributes to kill, I was instead stuck watching that coat.

* * *

 **Twixton Delver (12) D3M**

 _5... 4... 3... 2... 1..._

The mountain Arena was annoying. It meant tons of supplies would be necessary just to stay in good enough health to be able to walk. It also meant tributes would die off because of the cold, but without supplies, I had no guarantee that I wouldn't be one of those tributes. Despite all of my instincts, and despite all of what my mentor had insisted, I knew I was going to have to run in if I was to have a chance. Luckily, I was between Giovanni and Falia, who I didn't think would attack me for no good reason. I could just have a chance.

 _ **LET THE 19th ANNUAL HUNGER GAMES BEGIN**_


	41. At Long Last!

**Nova Nyan (15) D3F**

Nigella was across the Cornucopia from me. There were a lot of nice things in the Cornucopia. Despite all my instincts screaming at me, I decided to go for it and run through. If I didn't take very many things and made it very clear I was just trying to reach my ally, there was a chance no Careers would go after me. They mostly went after younger kids in the Bloodbath, and it was only Chao that was particularly close to Nigella, anyways.

Nigella darted in and out, grabbing a light pack and running. She made it clear that she had seen me and I should follow. I grabbed a couple of coats and ran straight forward, checking my back and sides more than what was right in front of me. My arms were full of coats that were so huge the two I grabbed blocked off a lot of vision. I ran straight into Chao, who stuck the sword he had picked up into me before even looking to see who I was. He seemed sad when he saw it was me, but it didn't matter. Dead is dead.

* * *

 **Raze Hirohito (15) D6F**

I didn't have a choice. I ran into the Bloodbath, grabbing supplies as I went. I grabbed some random food packs and a thing of medicine. I grabbed a random weapon. Anything that was near me was swooped up, because it was bound to be useful for something. The spears could break ice if they had to, and the medicine was medicine. The weird plastic sheet thing I got could keep the non-existent rain off my head. I didn't really care; if it was in the Cornucopia, it was there for a reason. I grabbed a coat, too, but it took me out of my way straight towards Luna.

Luna was not happy. She was glaring at both me and Fletcher. I ran off from her a bit, hoping to show her that I didn't want a fight and was perfectly willing to flee. She was a threat, and I did not need to pick this particular fight. She threw a knife at me, which lodged in my arm. I took that as my cue to leave with the bounty I had, grateful that she turned to attack Fletcher instead of following me. I could defend myself decently, but I had no guarantees against a Career.

* * *

 **Fletcher Kozlowski (18) D6M**

There were brass knuckles in the Bloodbath. They were a really weird version, mainly because there was a knife attached to them, but it was my main weapon and I planned to get them. Luna was near me, but I didn't think she was interested in brass knuckles or willing to get in a fight where she would definitely be injured. Against Luna I might actually be able to win, but I wasn't going to hope for that. I was just going to hope she didn't want to risk it.

I ran straight towards my knuckles as soon as the gong went off. Marlin ran for them, too, and I almost backed off. He was a big guy, and I didn't want to risk losing my life. However, I also didn't want to risk losing my knuckles, so I grabbed a weapon off the ground while I ran. Luna ran towards the knuckles too, but I darted around her. She was fast, but I was mobile. Boxers had to be.

Marlin almost reached the knuckles before me. If he had, I probably would have let him have them and ran off with some supplies. I didn't want to kill him; my weapon was only for if I was attacked. However, the ground was slick with ice, and Marlin fell. I took the knuckles and darted out of the Cornucopia, grabbing a coat as I ran. Cannons went off around me and Luna threw a spear at me, but she couldn't chase me down without leaving Marlin and the Cornucopia less guarded than the Careers liked. The spear hurt like heck, but I had my knuckles.

* * *

 **Twixton Delver (12) D3M**

The supplies in the Cornucopia were the difference between my life or my death. As much as I hated it, I had to run in. I only wanted to dart in a little bit, grab something and dart out. I wouldn't run in very far and I wouldn't take much. Maybe I would take one pack or a small packet of food. I was definitely going to take something to keep me warm, but not a coat. Any piece of fabric or even plastic would be better than nothing.

True to my expectations, Falia and Giovanni left me alone, focusing on finding their allies and getting supplies. Screams rang around me of victory or defeat, but I had to ignore them while I ran in and grabbed things. It turned out I was a little too good at ignoring them, since I didn't hear Uriah running at me until his spear was lodged into me. I didn't have a chance against him, and he stomped my throat with ease. _At least it was an easy death._

* * *

 **Demi Ryea (16) D9F**

Denver was right next to me. Well, he was almost right next to me. Only one platform separated us. He ran over to me and I to him as soon as the gong went off. With the two of us together we could actually afford to grab some things instead of just fleeing. Denver could watch my back while I ran in and grabbed everything I thought was valuable. Gabriel ran in to the Bloodbath too, but I wasn't worried about him. He was near us, but he never deliberately threatened us. We were probably safe.

I heard one cannon go off and began to worry. When the second went off, I got really scared and wanted to hurry out of the Bloodbath. I was scared the entire time, but two cannons meant two fewer decoys. I looked over at Denver and nodded, and he nodded back to me. We took our loot and ran towards Giovanni, happy with our haul but unable to smile in the Arena.

* * *

 **Gadeloth Grinsley (18) D12M**

Tarabel was mine. She ran out of the Bloodbath quickly, only stopping for an instant when Tatiana yelped. Tatiana had a coat, but it didn't matter. Nothing could stop the cold that grew from Tarabel's blood trickling out, and the coats weren't thick enough to stop me from causing that trickle. Nothing Tatiana could grab could stop me from finally getting my prey.

Weapons were scattered everywhere, some which could easily cause a kill and some of which could only damage. I picked up a damage weapon and threw it at Tarabel, who stopped for a moment when it lodged in her leg before pulling it out and running again. She hardly even had a limp, but that didn't matter. I still had more weapons.

Someone ran towards me, and I stopped my hunt for a second to kill her. I chucked a bunch of my weapons at her before tackling her to the ground. The little thing screamed, but it didn't matter. There was too much noise for her to be heard. I had to work more quickly than I would have liked or I would have risked losing her, but that didn't mean I couldn't draw it out a bit. I raised my hand to work my knife into her, but she recognized me. The little witch made sure I got her throat. That didn't matter. More prey was scattered everywhere.

* * *

 **Mara Allouette (15) D10F**

When I ran into the Bloodbath, I didn't intend to go in very far or stay very long. I just wanted to get in, grab something, and get out. It was all supposed to be as easy as that. I didn't even want a lot of things. If I wasn't dead weight I would be happy. Totsuki was to my side, but I thought she would ignore me. She didn't. She pushed me farther and farther to the side to avoid her, until finally I ran into Gadeloth.

There are worse things than facing a Career, and Gadeloth was one of them. He looked at me like a maniac. There was a slight chance I could get him off me, but it wasn't worth the risk of what he would do to me if I failed. He raised his knife and I made sure that one blow killed me. In the end, I got all I had hoped for. An easy death was welcome compared to what the Capitol had planned.

* * *

 **Whew. We had a tiny Bloodbath this year, but life goes on.**

 **Obituaries:**

 **24th Place: Ananova "Nova" Nyan- Stabbed by Chao**

 **Ananova was a great tribute. I really liked writing her, and she had huge development potential. The problem was, she was one of roughly four possible Bloodbaths, and I needed some Bloodbaths. If things had gone slightly better she could have gone a long way. Thank you Red Roses 1000 for Nova, who was a joy to have.**

 **23rd Place: Twixton Delver- Throat crushed by Uriah**

 **Twixton was also a fun tribute. He had an interesting personality, and I always like twelve-year-olds. The problem was, he didn't end up being quite smart enough to get out. He was also the only male Bloodbath I had. C'MON PEOPLE! Thank you 66samvr for Twixton, who was great to write and helped me grow.**

 **22nd Place: Mara Allouette- Throat stabbed by Gadeloth**

 **Mara was a bit harder for me. She had a lot to work with, but I had a hard time using her for what she was. She was still fun to have around, and she did have a chance originally. The Bloodbath just gets weird. Thank you to SaphireMoon4 for Mara, who was a joy that forced me to be a better write.**

 **By the way people, if your tribute isn't submitted to possibly die/definitely die in the Bloodbath, I feel bad Bloodbath'ing them. SUBMIT SOME BLOODBATHS.**

 **Also, to all submitters with living tributes: Please tell me their weapon of choice. It's hard not to give everyone a spear.**


	42. Fresh Blood

**Nobody knows what happened** **Nova :( She got lost in the Bloodbath.**

 **In all seriousness, that was a mistake on my part, but dead is dead.**

 **Also, some people are getting mentioned a lot (Tarabel/Gadeloth being my main focus right now) but that is happening for obvious reasons. Once their huge battle goes on (and things finish, because crud's gonna get real no matter who wins) things will filter back down. I keep track of mentions.**

* * *

 **Luna Irika (18) D4F**

The Cornucopia had everything we needed. If it got to being too bad, we could just sit out the Games. All of the other tributes would be bound to die of cold or starvation, and we had plenty of food, blankets, and coats. There was even a heater, but none of us knew how we were supposed to use it if we didn't have electricity. We just threw it out of the Cornucopia because it was taking up so much space. Marlin set to organizing things, putting items into more stacks than I thought there should have been, at first. He had a whole bunch of stacks, when he easily could have had four stacks: Food, weapons, water, tools. Slowly I realized that he was sorting them by group and by usefulness, which actually was a pretty good idea.

Marlin was clearly upset from the Bloodbath fiasco, and I was equally upset. I lost one of my knives, and we didn't even get the weapon he wanted. The doofus fell over. How hard was it to keep your feeting on ice? Only two people fell down without being killed prior to their fall, and one of them got tackled to the ground. He rubbed his sore legs, and upon looking around, I realized that we were better off than the other Careers. Chao had a big scratch across his chest, Annika's face was bruised, and Uriah's chest had a slice through it. We were a lot better off than some tributes, but it was a pitiful Bloodbath.

"Only three kills this year," Uriah said, slipping on a coat as he talked. I followed suit. I wasn't entirely freezing yet, but I knew the cold would seep into my bones if I didn't act quickly. "That's not very many, but we've seen worse." I wasn't sure how true that was, but I hadn't bothered watching all of the Games clips. There were eighteen of them, and that was a lot. "We should work fast this year. If we don't, a lot of tributes will slip through our fingers, and we'll just get weaker. We have supplies, but they won't last too long." He looked around, deciding if we agreed with him or not. Annika and Chao picked up their weapons, and Marlin stopped organizing his stuff to see what my response would be. One of us would likely have to stay and guard the Cornucopia.

I cast a skeptical glance at Uriah. None of us had said he was leader, but I wasn't sure if he was offering an idea or bossing us around. Judging by his personality, it was an offer, and it wasn't a bad one. Even though we could outlast a lot of tributes, we should work fast. It wouldn't hurt us to hunt down some tributes, and our supplies would only last so long. I just wasn't certain how long "so long" was. "All right. No one's going to go to the Cornucopia, and if they do, we can just kill them. Let's hunt down some outer Districts."

* * *

 **Tarabel Aspen (17) D12F**

Tatiana managed to get herself injured at the Bloodbath. It was stupid of her to run in, since we easily could have stolen supplies from another tribute, or killed another tribute for supplies, but I was still grateful. The two coats she got for us were amazing to have. I was engulfed in warmth when she handed them to me, rather than the cold the Gamemakers threw at us. She also got us some food, and I knew we would need a lot of that in this sort of Arena. Our bodies would be spending hundreds of calories a day just keeping us warm, and we would need to replace those calories as soon as possible.

Sadly, I had no idea how I was supposed to fix Tatiana without proper supplies. We were on a freaking mountain, so we didn't have many plants to choose from. Even if we did have plants to choose from, I wouldn't have known how to patch her up. I was good at killing people, not putting them back together again. _How can plants even do that? They're juice, not bandages._ To make matters worse, the wound was across her chest. If it was across her arm I could have made a basic bandage out of my shirt, but my shirt wouldn't hope up well for an entire chest. Luckily, the wound didn't seem too deep. I went behind and pulled her shirt as taut as I could, then tied it into a knot. At least then the blood flow would be smaller than it could have been.

Once I had fixed Tatiana's wound as well as I hoped to, I noticed a different problem we had. We were definitely being followed. I could hear the footsteps behind me clearly, not that it took any skill. The snow crunched loudly even under my footsteps, and I knew to step lightly. I didn't know what a tribute would gain from following us; we wouldn't waste any food and we were lightly to drop our coats. I did know what one particular tribute wanted, though, and I wished we had grabbed more weapons in the Bloodbath. I could beat Gadeloth hand-to-hand, but if he had a bunch of weapons, the tables would turn.

Hiding on a mountain would be difficult. We left footprints wherever we went. I looked around, checking everywhere I could see. Nothing stuck out to me at all. I didn't want to fight Gadeloth just yet though, so I whispered to Tatiana, "Look for a place we can easily duck into. We have a tail." She seemed like she would prefer to fight our tail than run, but none of us wanted to fight Gadeloth. I could use a good fight, but Gadeloth did not count as a "good" fight. Even wolves knew they had to back down sometimes.

* * *

 **Cote Fuller (13) D5M**

The Arena stank. Everything about it. It was cold. We could hardly keep our footing sometimes. There was nowhere to hide if anyone attacked us. Finding food was out of the question; there were almost no plants anywhere. I didn't know what kind of mutts there could be, but anything that lived in this place normally was not something I wanted to deal with. There were probably bears or something huge and furry. We could not fight something huge and furry. We had five of us, but the huge furry thing knew what it was doing. Wasn't having to fight to the death bad enough on it's own? Why couldn't the Arena be a mansion, or just a giant pillow? Gamemakers were cruel.

To make matters worse, we lost one of our allies in the Bloodbath. I was grieving, Demi was greiving, everybody was grieving. We were moving slower than molasses in January away from the Bloodbath, and we needed to get the heck away. We needed to find the best shelter we could and fix it up, and we needed to have the higher ground. If the Careers attacked us we were completely screwed, especially if they somehow managed to be higher than us. We had to hurry up, but none of us seemed interested in moving.

When Giovanni heard something behind us, he turned around quickly, turning back to us with a worried look in his eyes. "It's the Careers," he whispered to us. I didn't understand why they were on the move so early; usually they settled for a while. "All right. We need to find a way to get away. There are five Careers this year, and all of them are on this hunt. How can we not leave a trail?" Giovanni shooed us away while he talked, obviously trying to make us hurry up even if we left a trail.

"This snow is really hard until you put all of your weight on it," Demi said, talking to herself. "We could crawl. It would distribute our weight, or something like that. We would leave a little bit of a trail, but it wouldn't be the huge footsteps we leave behind right now," she whispered to us, kneeling as she spoke to test it out. "See?"

I wasn't sure how I felt about her idea. It would slow us down a lot, and the Careers would probably be able to see us. Everybody else seemed to like it though, and they kneeled down, putting their bodies as close to the ground as possible to avoid being seen. I did the same, but it didn't end up mattering. We heard the footsteps behind us speed up and turn towards us, and the voices got louder. Each of us stood up, most of us wanting to run.

Denver knew better. We couldn't outrun Careers. He turned and raised his knife, the only weapon he had. I raised my weapon, too, figuring I could fight my hardest if nothing else. I definitely wouldn't win, but maybe I could convince them continuing the fight wasn't worth it, or I could slow them down enough the rest of us got away.

There were five Careers and four of us. It was shaping up to be a massacre. Giovanni stared ahead dramatically, and I did the same, even as Demi and Giovanni were instructed to run. They were reluctant to leave, but it was for the best. We couldn't win, no matter what. Uriah raised his knives, and the other Careers followed suit. Two of them broke off to follow our alliance, and Denver followed them. I turned to Uriah, Marlin, and Chao. I raised my knife and stabbed Chao in the arm. He stabbed me in the neck.

* * *

 **Denver Crane (15) D7M**

There was no way I was going to win this fight. I didn't even think I would be able to slow the Careers down enough that Giovanni and Demi would get away. I had no choice but to try, though. I was going to be killed no matter what move I made; I was just choosing if I got killed by Luna and Annika or Marlin, Uriah, and Chao. I felt bad leaving Cote to die, but he knew he was going to die. There wasn't anything I could do.

I tripped Luna when I reached her. That caused Annika to turn around. It wasn't much of an advantage, but it was better than nothing. I punched Annika as hard as I could. I didn't have any weapons on me. Luna pulled me down to the ground, where she was, and held me there. The fight was awful, and not prideful, like I thought the Careers would make it. Luna just held me there, and Annika stabbed me in the stomach. She tried to leave after that, but I grabbed on to her. Luna could peel me off of her, and I would die soon enough, but I could stall them for longer than they thought.

* * *

 **21st Place: Cote Fuller- Stabbed by Chao**

 **Cote was an interesting tribute. He had potential, but I didn't really like him. Things fell together in a way that it made perfect sense for him to die here, so he did. Thank you to Mlklein20account2 for Cote, who helped me grow as a writer and was nice to have around.**

 **20th Place: Denver Crane- Stabbed by Annika**

 **Denver really got the short end of the stick here. With a four person alliance, it didn't make much sense for only one person to die. Denver was a great character, but I didn't see him becoming Victor, and I thought he was the least likely to win out of the alliance. Thank you to Paperairline for Denver, and the amazing death scene you planned. It didn't quite turn out, but I tried to make it painful, like you asked.**

 **NOTE: I STILL NEED A LOT OF CHOICE WEAPONS (but not Cote's or Denver's...)**

 **ANOTHER NOTE: Please don't submit tributes with dashes over their letters. It's a nuisance. Not why I killed Cote, but a fact all the same.**

 **FINAL NOTE: Three is out of the Games, and I have noted it. They didn't get mentioned here because this chapter is already a tad long.**


	43. I'm Sorry You're Terminally Dumb

**Tellie Cathode (D3 Mentor)**

We were the first District out of the Games. It wasn't the first time it had happened, and it wouldn't be the last. This time, I decided that it was a good thing someone had gone to the Games. Without her shove, Nova never would have gotten out of her past. She also wouldn't have enjoyed the crazy Capitol food. Without his shove, Twixon never would have found the Capitol library. He also wouldn't have frustrated that one Peacekeeper almost to the point of retirement. Sometimes, good could come out of bad.

* * *

 **District Three**

Nova's entire family mourned for her. The Nyans didn't know what to do without their little girl. Despite what Nova likely would have wanted, Tellie told them that their daughter had gotten over her fear of pianos. It just made them mourn all the more. Everybody tried to comfort them, and the mayor told them they could use his piano at any time. Twixton was missed in a different way. The Delvers all quietly mourned him, never mentioning his loss to anyone. He had been the odd one of his District, but in his family, he fit right in.

* * *

 **Nigella Coriander (18) D8F**

Alix and I had gotten off well during the Bloodbath. In a huge blow to my pride, she was more brave than I was, and she had ran in. She was wary of others, as any logical tribute would be, but she had a plan. She patiently waited for others to be occupied and then ran in. It was partially a great plan, but also partially a terrible plan, which should have gotten her killed. All the same, I was grateful for what she had done. I had grabbed a windbreaker in the Bloodbath. She had grabbed us a bunch of food and a coat. She got to wear the thick, fluffy coat, and I wore my windbreaker, since she earned her coat. We shared the food.

Since up was the only way to go, we went up. The mountain was way too tall for either of us to be interested in going to the top, but we could still go a ways up and be able to go a good distance up or down if we had to. We climbed and found, to our surprise, that it was a rather easy climb. The mountain had a very gentle slope, unlike many of the ones I had known about. Instead of fighting for each inch and risking death every time we moved, like so many mountaineers had, we could just casually walk up. We ran, since the Careers could be anywhere, but it was still easy.

After we were up as far as we wanted to risk with the amount of energy we had left, we sat down. Neither of us really knew what to do. I didn't know how to build a shelter, and Alix didn't know how to build a shelter. I sat down in the snow and started building a tunnel. I didn't know how useful it would be, but I figured some way to not just be out in the open would be better than nothing. Alix joined me, and I couldn't help but laughing a bit. We didn't get much snow in Eight, but when we did get it, we made forts much like the one we were currently working on. The forts didn't matter as much then as they did now, and we were better prepared, with coats and boots, but it was still similar.

Once we had created a decent tunnel, with enough space for both of us to sit in it, we took a break. Alix went straight into the fort, but I stayed out, making small spheres of snow. Once I had about ten I slipped into our makeshift shelter and threw one at her. She shielded her face and cried out, and I threw another. "Hey!" Alix yelled, trying to get out of the fort. "We need to stay warm!"

"Oh psh! We're already covered in snow. This is just more DELIBERATE!" I yelled as loudly as I dared in the Arena. I threw two more snowballs before Alix had completely pulled herself out of the tunnel, and then I hopped out, too. I wasn't going to get cornered with only six snowballs left.

* * *

 **Giovanni Cancri (18) D8M**

I felt awful. It wasn't even one full day into the Games, and already we had lost over half of our alliance. We were supposed to be a big, strong powerhouse. I was supposed to be a big, strong leader. What I was supposed to be didn't help Nova at all. It didn't help Cote or Denver. Instead of protecting them, like I should have, I ran like the coward I was. Of course, there wasn't any possibility of any of us winning the fight, but at least I could have lasted. At least I could have died protecting someone instead of running from the Careers with my tail between my legs.

Demi seemed almost as shaken up as I was about losing our allies. I didn't know why she was less shaken up than me, but I didn't mind. Some people just felt less strongly about these things than others. Some people could watch gruesome war movies without feeling a thing, and some people couldn't stay longer than five minutes. I knew it had nothing to do with character a lot of the time, and I trusted it wasn't due to Demi's character that she wasn't freaking out. Death just wasn't one of the things that affected her as much as it affected me.

The only good thing that came out of our sacrifice was that Demi and I had a lot of time to get away. We ran and hoped the Careers weren't following us for a long time, but after we were a bit farther away we started crawling again. We could only run for so long, but the Careers could just keep tracking us if we left a trail. We went up, because it was pretty much our only option. Down would just bring us closer to the Cornucopia, and the Careers' camp.

By the time we were done running away, I was calming down. I was only a little calmer, but I was calmer. Demi and I deemed ourselves high enough up and far enough around the mountain that, if nothing else, we wouldn't be the Careers' main focus for a while, and we began setting up camp. We didn't have much to work with, and neither of us really knew much about the Arena, but we did our best. Once we decided that our makeshift camp, which was mostly a snow fort to keep wind off of us, was done, I started making snowballs. Our child's game ended up being our only weapon.

* * *

 **Gabriel Welson (16) D9M**

Surprisingly, I didn't die in the Bloodbath. Even more surprisingly, Falia didn't die in the Bloodbath. I went in with a plan. It was a failed plan, due to just about everything the Cornucopia held, and everywhere everyone went in the Cornucopia, but at least I thought things through. I just changed my mind last-minute. To the best of my knowledge, Falia just ran in. She didn't know what she was doing, where she was going, or what she was grabbing. She just hoped she didn't die.

Her efforts proved fruitful. While Falia could have gone back to her District because of her attempts, she instead found her way to me, laden with food and coats. For some reason I didn't comprehend she had grabbed four coats, even though there were only two of us. I slipped into my coat and she slipped into hers, not putting either of the extra coats on and killing my theory that maybe she wanted us to layer our clothing. I thought I would be the one who knew what was going on, but clearly I wasn't.

"You didn't get very much in the Bloodbath," Falia said. I assumed she was just speculating and not being accusing. "I thought you had some fancy plan to get tons of stuff and weapons safely."

"'Whenever you make a plan, you have to know that your enemies also have a plan, and they won't help you.' Some famous person said that," I said. Falia didn't reply for a couple of seconds, so I explained myself. "The Cornucopia wasn't set up the way my plan needed it to be, and people went in all the wrong directions. My plan didn't work out." Falia nodded when I said that, as if it made a hundred times more sense when I explained. It was more straightforward, but a lot of people would have assumed what I explained.

"Whatever. You got us some water, so that's nice." I knew Falia was just patronizing me. We were surrounded by easily meltable snow. "Let's go all the way up. Most people won't want to go there because it's really high, so we'll be safe."

I nodded. It seemed reasonable enough, and heat rose, didn't it? We would be warmer up at the top of the mountain than the bottom. There would probably be less ice there, too, since it would all melt off. I didn't know everything there was to know about mountains, but I knew how to use logic.

* * *

 **By the way, sponsoring is a thing. Don't forget and be boring.**

 **Also, I sponsor tributes when I feel like it. It's useless items that I make sure don't help the tributes (except sometimes morally) but it's still fun.**


	44. Author Intervention

**Alix Hessia-Rhine (14) D5F**

After our snowball fight, Nigella and I slipped into our fort again to calm down for a while. We noticed that we had left a bit of a mark around where we were, but we weren't too worried about it. We had tracks everywhere, just like every other tribute. We were just happy that our fort wasn't out in the open like so many other tributes' shelters were. I did plan for us to walk around a bit and then backtrack to our fort, to mess people up, but I wasn't ready to push the idea forward just yet, and I didn't think Nigella was ready for us to do that, either. A snowball fight was fun, but we had to focus on planning and calming down for a while before we could continue our Games life.

We were pulled out of our shelter by the dinging of a parachute. I leapt up to grab it as quickly as I could to stop the dinging from attracting other tributes. Our box wasn't very big, but it was still sure to be better than nothing. A beautiful five was engraved on it, so I tore it open and examined everything within it. There wasn't much to be seen. Two ice cream sundaes, which I wasn't too keen on eating in our snowfort on a mountain, greeted us, as well as some nail polish and a deck of cards. I wondered how quickly nail polish would dry on the mountain while Nigella examined our gifts.

"Let's eat!" Nigella said, taking one of the sundaes. "Quick, or they might melt."

I stuck my tongue out at her in response. The teasing was fun, and I didn't mind it, but the thought of any more cold being shoved into my body wasn't one I wanted to deal with. "Would this even help us, or will we burn as many calories digesting it as it gives us?"

"What are you talking about?" Nigella asked me in mock frustration. "Ice cream is practically straight sugar and stuff, so there's energy and stuff in there. Just eat it 'cuz it's better than nothing."

I rolled my eyes but began eating the ice cream. I made sure to smile at the invisible cameras while I ate so the sponsors knew I did ejoy our gift, and I wasn't going to complain about everything. While getting ice cream was frustrating, it wasn't worth risking losing sponsors over. I was pretty hyped about the deck of cards, though. I wasn't certain, but I figured Eight card games and Five card games only overlapped a little. Nigella was going to have some learning to do.

* * *

 **Fletcher Kozlowski (18) D6M**

I slipped my brass knuckles onto my hand as soon as I left the Bloodbath. They were mine for good now that I had them. I knew how important they would be for me to have any possibility of winning, and I would likely die before I would consider parting with them. They were the only weapon I had outside of my brain, and they were almost the only supplies I grabbed from the Bloodbath. I also had an energy bar and an almost frozen bottle of water I had grabbed, but I hadn't had much time to snatch things up before I had to run away or risk Luna coming at me. She was mad, for sure, and I wasn't going to stay near her for longer than necessary.

Once I was done running, I wasn't really sure what to do. I knew enough about mountains from my quick skimming to know that I needed to not go to the top of the mountain, I needed to get off the ground, and shelter was life, but that was all I knew. I was thankful for the coat I had, because I knew I could use that to get off the ground if worst to came to worst, but also because I was cold even with it on. I didn't want to think about how all of the tributes without coats were doing.

After climbing the mountain aimlessly for a while, I saw a peak I thought I could rest on. It wasn't at the very top of the mountain, so I figured I wouldn't die instantly if I went there, but it was high enough up that the Careers probably wouldn't bother finding me there until later on in the Games. I slowly made my way over to it, trying to find the easiest way to climb it. It was slightly steeper than the rest of the mountain, so I couldn't just walk up it while barely breaking a sweat. I would have to actually climb, and I found another reason to be greatful for being a boxer.

Being a boxer meant I had to be able to punch well. Punching well involved good upper body strength amongst other things. While climbing the mountain at the incline it was at was hard, I knew it would have been far harder if I didn't have the strength I had. Since I was so well-trained there, I just stuck my fingers into the snow and hoisted myself up. Sometimes I struck ice and had to reposition myself, and sometimes the snow wasn't very strong so I had to find a new patch, but most of it was strong enough to support me for the short period of time I had to spend on it. I just spent my time hoisting and hoisting, aiming for the top.

* * *

 **Tatiana Kokolo (17) D11F**

Tarabel made a huge fuss about the cut I had on my chest. I didn't know why she was so worried. Things got hurt all the time. It was part of the circle of life. I let her fuss over me all the same, because she was her and I could let her be, but it was still weird. It was nice when I stopped leaving a blood trail, I had to admit, but I would prefer for it to stop stinging over just not be bleeding on everything. I was still bleeding in the bandage. We just got rid of exterior signs of damage, which wasn't top priority.

Tarabel also made me try and find a place to hide, and I didn't like that, either. Wolves slept in the open and worried about nothing except their next meal, while Tarabel was making me worry about shelter. However, when she explained herself, and I took a peek behind us, I realized that she was correct. I much preferred to fight people over fleeing from them, but something was wrong with Gadeloth. Extremely and irrepairably wrong. I didn't want to have to deal with him, and it wasn't exactly fleeing. It was just a strategic withdrawal. So, while we walked, I looked around us for places to hide. There had to be some somewhere. We had an entire moutain to search.

While we walked, a parachute fluttered down to us. It had an eleven engraved on it, so I grabbed it and opened it. In it was some delicious corned beef, which I promptly opened and started to eat, offering some to Tarabel. It was hot, and it wouldn't stay that way long on the mountain. We ate it all, and then another parachute came down. In that one was bandages, which Tarabel freaked out a bit over, and painkillers, which I was excited for. My wound stung like nothing else.

A huge fuss was made, and Tarabel started applying the bandages while we walked. I thought that left us open, and was a terrible idea, but Tarabel just told me I should keep watch. I figured she knew best when it came to planning. I was more of a fighter than a thinker. The painkillers we were sent didn't come with instructions, so I just popped two in my mouth and swallowed. I figured Capitolite medicines were probably a lot stronger than District medicines, but I often had to take four of our pills to make any pain really go away. I still had a lot of pills left if I needed any more.

* * *

 **No deaths! This chapter was chill. Just a couple of things to clear up:**

 **1\. I sent Nigella and Alix the gifts. They seemed like they were doing things that would get sponsored. That means that they don't gain anything but happiness from them (so Alix shouldn't have eaten the ice cream...)**

 **2\. I'm not much of one for foreshadowing. Some things are, like if I say "Yo we're being followed watch out" but most things aren't, like if people disagree a bit. People just disagree.**

 **3\. Dashes mean accent marks. Hyphenated names are fine (but why make them?)**


	45. The Never Ending Climb

**Raze Hirohito (15) D6F**

My arm hurt like heck. I was annoyed by it, but I couldn't stop to work on it until I was farther away. I wanted to keep it still, to stop the jolt of pain I got each time I moved it, but I had to swing it in order to run quickly. I chose running, gritting my teeth through the pain, and tried to ignore everything else. I wanted to screech, hiss, or swear, but I couldn't without drawing more attention to myself. Pretty much, everything about the Games stank, and I was considering dying right away instead of dealing with everything and dying later.

I couldn't very well let myself think that way for long, though. Dying later wasn't a certainty by any means. I wasn't the strongest competitor ever, but I was definitely stronger than a lot of people, and I was more well off than any. I had taken a plunge and grabbed so much stuff it could last me forever. I had enough food for around a week, which was forever in the Games, enough water to last until I melted more, and a coat. I couldn't put the coat on without dropping stuff, so I just ran through the cold. I hardly felt it. My body was warming up from how hard my heart was pumping.

Finally, when my legs were almost numb and my throat was raw from cold air and running hard, I decided I could slow down for a while. I plopped down on the ground, ignoring the snow like I ignored everything else, and slipped my coat on. My coat was a little piece of heaven in the awful Arena, warming up my abdomen like I wished my whole body could be warmed. Once my coat was on and I shifted some snow out of the way so I had a place to sit, I pulled out my medicine. I wasn't certain what was going to be in the pack I had, but I figured it had to be better than nothing.

The pack was even better than the coat. It had some weird cleansing ointment, which stung when I put it on, but I didn't want to risk getting infected, and bandages, which I wrapped around my arm. The bandages felt a bit tight, since they were squeezing my arm until my hand tingled, but I wasn't too worried. Blood-flow could be felt easily, and mine hadn't stopped. The most important thing in the pack was the painkillers. I took one of them, since I assumed Capitol medicine was super strong. The pain eased almost immediately, proving my theory right. I could finally rest in peace.

* * *

 **Falia Oakarm (14) D7F**

Gabriel and I were making our way up the mountain, slowly but surely. While it was eas going with the low steepness of the mountain, we seemed to have underestimated the sheer height of the mountain. We couldn't even see the top of the mountain, but somehow we had thought it wouldn't take nearly as long as it was taking. It was hard to comprehend that something that large could be around, and I often found myself considering how wide the mountain had to be to be so tall but flat.

As we rose, I noticed something about our climbing. It was getting harder to climb, and it was getting a lot colder. I couldn't always tell where my foot was going, and I stopped climbing for a bit, much to Gabriel's surprise. He jumped back when I stopped, which could have killed him, but somehow didn't. When he asked my why I stopped, I pointed out where the sun was. "We've been climbing all day and we didn't even notice. We were just walking, but I think setting up camp and calling it a night is in order."

It took Gabriel a couple of seconds of considering before he answered. "Well, we need to get as high as we can. The Careers could come any time now, after all."

"Didn't you hear those cannons earlier, though? The Careers probably caused them. And it'll only get harder to climb as it gets darker."

Gabriel sighed, but nodded. As the sun went down it was bound to get colder as well as darker, and we needed a good shelter even with our coats. I knew a lot about shelters, but there wasn't much I could do for shelter in such a barren landscape. I decided to try and cool things off a bit from our slight disagreement, regardless of how calm it was, and keep climbing. "Let's walk around and look for shelters while we climb. Then we get higher, but we could find a nice nook."

Nodding again, Gabriel started climbing. He didn't seem upset, but I could tell he was more tired than he was letting on. Luckily for us, our mountain wasn't entirely barren. After a little bit of climbing we found a nook we could squeeze into, and I shoved snow around it to provide a windbreak and hide us from others. I heard an easily recognizeable dinging while I worked, and I snatched a parachute from the sky. It had a gorgeous _9_ on it, so I handed it to Gabriel.

"Heck yeah! We got food!" Gabriel yelled out when he opened it. We had been gifted a lovely gift of saltine crackers, coffee, and a note. The note read _Things get thinner at the top._ I wasn't sure what that meant, but Gabriel explained, "I'm not positive, but that's gotta be encoded. I could be wrong here, but thinner things don't hold heat, right? So we should put on our extra coats while we climb, so we hold more heat." I nodded. It made as much sense as anything else running through my mind.

* * *

 **Cole Sterling (18) D10M**

My original intentions were to meet up with Mara right after the Bloodbath and distribute the wealth I gathered between us. That plan was pretty well shattered, just like my mood, when Mara died. I knew enough about the Games not to get entirely attached to her, but I was still sad to see her go. She reminded me of my sister, and she definitely didn't deserve to die. I wanted to say that nobody did, but Mara certainly deserved it less than the person who killed her. Gadeloth wasn't just in it because he had to be. He was in it for fun.

Gadeloth was becoming my enemy. He was probably becoming an enemy to the Careers, due to his strength and how easily he could steal kills. I knew he was an enemy to Tarabel from everything about him, and he was probably Tatiana's enemy through association. Nobody really liked him, and many people actively disliked him. The problem was, I couldn't afford to run into him. As much as I wanted to end his reign of terror, and avenge my ally, I couldn't do it. I could almost push through the thought of killing someone, because I knew it would stop him from killing someone, and since he would likely die anyways. The reason I couldn't kill him was because I probably physically couldn't. He was strong, and he knew how to kill. There would be nothing I could do if I ran into him, so, as sad as I was about Mara's death, I was happy that it slowed him down from getting to anybody else. Nobody deserved that, not even Gadeloth himself.

Without any allies, I got more food. I hated to be happy that my allies were gone, but my morale was as valuable as my health. If I lost my will to live, my life would go along with it. I focused on how much extra food I had now that it was one person and not two. It was double the food. Double what little food I had wasn't much, but it was better than half. I also considered how much easier it would be to find a shelter for one person than for two, and how I could watch one back better than I could watch two. My mind flitted to the fact that only I was watching my back, but I didn't let it rest there. I didn't need that kind of negativity.

I would have wanted to wander throughout the day, but I didn't bother. I had to make myself a nice shelter quickly and then wander the next day. I figured the Bloodbath was already more excitement than was good for me in one day, and I should try to avoid any more for a while. I wasn't going to hide the whole Games out, by any means, but there was no point in trying to be a hero and dying immediately. Even if I died, I didn't want it to be because I was dumb.

* * *

 **i'm still alive! Sorry this is so darn late. I haven't been feeling it lately, but it's not hard to make myself write fifteen hundred words. So here you go! Calm chapter for now. Yay everyone here!**

 **Fixed the formatting difficulties. Fail, Silver.**


	46. Frozen

**Uriah Chance (18) D1M**

It was safe to say, we didn't expect those two tributes to struggle quite that hard. Anyone would fight death to no end, either due to fear or spite, but we weren't certain they were capable of it. Denver definitely shouldn't have been capable of that, after being damaged so much, but even Cote was surpringly brave. Chao's arm was injured, even if the wound was far from deadly, and we were ready to go back to our Cornucopia for the night.

When Annika glared at all of us we hurried a little bit more. We didn't expect she would harm us in any way, but we didn't want her to have to be annoyed for any longer than necessary. She was covered in blood, just like Luna, but by the way the moved we assumed it wasn't their blood. Annika was flicking blood off of her while she walked, and Luna was peeling something off of her. Whatever Denver had done to hold them up for so much longer than it should have taken, it wasn't proper.

Chao was upset about letting Nigella and Giovanni get away, but I wasn't worried. I didn't want to get entirely cocky, but we still had a full pack, and most tributes weren't too strong. Nigella and Giovanni were completely unarmed and didn't have many supplies at all, while we had all the food we would need for a while - even if it only was a while - and we had all the weapons we could want. We could probably afford to throw knives to our opponents without being in a bad spot.

Annika was muttering to herself the entire way back to the Cornucopia, and I got a bit worried. I didn't want her to get strong feelings against any particular tributes, because even if they were opponents, she didn't need to do what I knew she was capable of. We were all killers, and we could probably be classified as murderers, since we volunteered. That didn't mean we should do anything more than we had to.

While we walked back to the Cornucopia, I began to walk beside Marlin. Luna and Annika were walking right next to each other and muttering to each other, and I started talking to Marlin. "Marlin, what do you think about this? Luna seems ticked."

"We'll probably just attack them again. Luna might stab them one more time than necessary, but dead is dead. They'll still kill quickly." There was doubt in Marlin's voice while he spoke, and I heard it clearly. The Games were violent, but we didn't need too much.

* * *

 **Trevor (18) D11M**

The Arena was cold and it stank. I was getting less cold by the constant walking around I had to do to avoid everyone. Most tributes probably wouldn't attack me, but there were definitely some that would, and a run-in with one of them could be deadly. I could probably win against almost any tribute, but I didn't have any supplies, and tons of germs could be anywhere. I didn't need an infection ruining my life. I also had to take into account the fact that any other tribute could have a weapon, which I didn't have.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed some tributes. I recognized the Eleven girl and wished her the best. The wish was internal, since I didn't want to attract attention to myself. Attention from the Twelve girl actually could be deadly, just like attention from the Twelve boy. So I avoided the entire party, wondering why in Panem the Twelve girl was hanging with the Twelve boy, and went on my merry way. My way could hardly be defined as merry, but it was more merry than it could have been. Even though my body seemed to disagree with me.

Since I couldn't very easily walk forever, I went to find myself a nook or cranny to rest in. I hadn't spent much time in the shelter station during training, but I knew that getting out of the cold was better than staying in the cold. All I had to do was find a simple little nook and I would be slightly less in the cold, which could probably be extremely helpful. I wasn't certain about anything, but my planned seemed logical enough.

I tripped a little on my way to a rock. I looked around for what I tripped on, because I wasn't usually clumsy, but nothing was there. I decided it was probably just the snow and how stiff my limbs were from being so cold. Then I went into a small crack in the rock. I could hardly fit into it, and the rock was cold, but I decided to try not to mind. I was in a better position than out in the open, and I could close my eyes, just for a little bit.

* * *

 **Totsuki Sugihara (18) D2F**

One half a kill to my name was good enough for me at the beginning of the Games. Sure, Gadeloth had done the hardest part, but he would have let her get away entirely if I hadn't pushed that girl to him. As much as I admired Gadeloth's determination to win against his nemesis, he had to remember that there were others out there, too, and they wouldn't leave him alone. He was a loner, like I was, and someone like that couldn't afford to focus on only one thing at a time.

I ran away from the Cornucopia. It wasn't fleeing. It was a strategic retreat, which was a fancy way to say I was running away because fighting five Careers at once wouldn't end well. There was a difference between bravery and stupidity, and while I sometimes danced the line, I wasn't quite that much of an idiot. There was no good place to run to in a mountainous Arena. As I climbed higher and higher, the air would get thinner, and I would get colder, but if I stayed low, I would definitely run into the Careers sooner rather than later. I got the feeling that most of the Careers wouldn't want someone like me around, and they had no reason to hold themselves back from the dirtiest tricks they knew if their opponent was trained. Most of them wouldn't hold back even if the other person was a weakling, but with me their actions would be justified, and some Careers had a conscience.

A decision had to be made, and I had to make it quickly. Running around to no particular place would just be using up calories I couldn't afford to waste. Running to a certain area would be a little bit less of a waste, but I still had to use as few calories as possible. Careers needed to remain light, for peak mobility. Being light meant I had no fat to waste, and I was colder than some people would be out in the mountain. I had no extra skin to warm me up. My decision was to find a shelter as high up on the mountain as I could go and still feel safe. I didn't know where "safe" was exactly, but if I suddenly felt like I would die if I went any higher, I wouldn't go any higher. My sponsors could help me a little bit. Notes were cheap.

As if on cue, as soon as I thought that, a parachute fell from the sky. It was a small parachute, so my immediate hope of a better weapon than I had grabbed was dashed to bits. All the same, I was pretty happy to be getting anything. That meant that someone cared, someone was trying, and my plan could actually work. The gift in itself was lovely, too, without everything it meant. The parachute held a bowl of chicken noodle soup, which provided hundreds of calories.

* * *

 **19th Place: Trevor- Hypothermia**

 **In a mountain Arena, someone was bound to get hypothermia. I did my research, and it turns out, hypothermia can kill you in under an hour in extreme cases. Trevor's hypothermia wasn't quite that bad, but constantly touching the rock was worse for him than being out in the open. This was the rare Arena where the survival skills were actually more important than knowing how to fight, because the cold was so awful. Trevor was a cool kid, and I did what I could with him, but I wasn't really getting inspired. I couldn't see him as a Victor, and it wouldn't be very cool to have him become a Victor and then not do anything to him. Thank you to DestroyNotCreate for Trevor, who was a fun character that was good to have around.**

 **NOW FOR TWO UPDATES:**

 **1) I haven't been feeling my writing as much lately. I'll try to write once a week. I might do it more often on occasion, but don't expect constant stuff.**

 **2) My Games have very little sense of time. Some people think it's been three days, but most of this is wrapping up day one. Some things get weird and don't make too much sense, but I want to let everyone get a mention for day one. So my Games could easily be anywhere from a week to two months, depending on how you decide time is passing.**


	47. Down, Down, Down

**Chao Chiang (18) D2M**

We got back to camp in a reasonable time. I couldn't call it a good time, because we were slowed down due to Annika and Luna's frequent stops to wipe some blood off of themselves. We must have had something to wipe off with in the Cornucopia, but the women insisted on stopping. Obviously, I thought it was unreasonable. I wasn't about to go break up the Career pack over travelling more slowly than I wanted to, but the more time we spent travelling the more likely one tribute was to get brave and steal some supplies. We couldn't afford to lose any supplies.

Marlin and Uriah travelled closely together, and Luna and Annika traveled closed together. I noticed that I was the only one that didn't have a partner, and it wasn't just because my District partner wasn't part of the Pack. There was nothing I could do about that. The boys were grouping off and the girls were grouping off, whether it was coincidental or not, and I decided to go join the other boys. I couldn't let myself stay an outcast, or if we had a break, no one would bother to watch my back, during the break or after it. I made my way over to the others, hoping my presence wasn't announced too dramatically, and started talking. "Hey. We never finished organizing. Do you think we should work on that and ask Annika and Luna to do whatever they feel like they should do?" I asked them, getting to work while I spoke. If I was rejected I would stop, but there was no reason to waste time.

"Sounds good to me," Uriah replied. "Hey! Annika! We're gonna organize, you do what you feel like doing!" I wouldn't have worded the question quite like that to the women themselves, but they nodded. They were probably as happy to get to talk amongst themselves as we were.

"So, you're Chao. We got to know each other a bit during training, but we should probably continue. I think it's pretty obvious that we like each other more than the girls. We're not going to ditch, but we should band. You in?" Uriah asked me. He got to the point very quickly, but that was a good thing. We didn't need any beating around the bush.

"Yeah, I'm in. We do need a tighter-knit alliance. Well, I'm Chao. I'm a Chinese dude, although the Capitol can't tell Chinese and Japanese apart, and I'm the main bloodline for my family. I know all about Chinese history, and I know a lot of herbs, as well as some weapons," I said, figuring I may as well start the stories.

"I'm Uriah, as we all know. I was a servant in One, which was annoying, but it got the bills paid. I actually mostly know the boomerang, but I'm decent at other weapons. My dad trained me whenever he could outside of my work. I want to get a medical degree if I win," Uriah said. A medical degree was quite the ambition, but if Uriah won, it wouldn't be hard.

"I'm Marlin. I'm kinda supposed to bring my family pride after Serena died, but I already beat her." Marlin steeled himself for a second before continuing and saying, "I didn't work all that much at home. My family was fine, and my dad let me snorkel whenever I felt like it. I was kinda reluctant to come here, but I can't really change my mind, and now I'm here to win." That was all it took for introductions. We could continue with other stuff after that.

* * *

 **Demi Ryea (16) D9F**

Giovanni was clearly more shaken than I was by the deaths of our allies. I was very sad, of course, and I knew I would miss them, but I wasn't willing to stop trying because of that. He was getting all sad and depressed, but just like we had insisted before we lost everyone, I wasn't going to let myself get down. The Games had always been a matter of life and death. Now that it was thrown in our face didn't make it any more true than it had been. All it did was force me to think about how much harder I had to work.

Making snowballs took us what I guessed to be about three hours. We didn't have mittens. We just made snowballs with our bare, frozen hands, slowly feeling them dying off. Giovanni could keep a better straight face about that than I was, but he had to have been in at least nearly as much pain as I was. He didn't have mittens either. However, I could agree that he was correct in his thinking. Even if snowballs weren't much, suddenly having something heavy chucked at them would probably slow down the Careers a little bit. In the best case scenario it could even stun them for long enough for us to get away, but I wasn't going to hope for that. I was just going to hope that our weapons could slow their approach enough that we could fight them in slightly more fair circumstances.

Once we were done making snowballs we transferred them into our fort and then entered the fort ourselves. At first I didn't feel the difference of the fort, but it did begin to set in after a bit. Our body heat warmed up the small space enough that my hands thawed a bit, and we didn't have to worry about wind slicing through us. Giovanni's coat helped him, but I really needed the shelter. I knew my ally would give me the coat if I needed it, since he seemed like that sort of guy, but I wasn't going to take his coat. The sponsors sent him the coat.

I didn't really know what to do after we had our shelter. My first thought was to gather food or water, but our only water was snow, which we weren't supposed to melt, or ice, which we really shouldn't melt. I didn't even know if any plants were going to be in the Arena, since it was a flippin' mountain, and I wasn't willing to risk hunting meat and killing us all. Giovanni seemed to be going through the same thought process, and I decided we should just take a couple of minutes - or maybe hours - to just chill. We had done a lot of work, and we needed to gather our thoughts.

* * *

 **Gadeloth Grimsley (18) D12M**

I was still on Tarabel and Tatiana's trail. They thought they had found a good place to sneak off to, but they stuck out like a sore thumb. Tatiana was red, for heaven's sake, and it was because of me. I wasn't going to just notice a huge patch of red and ignore it. I almost considered just letting them go after I realized they thought they were safe. Someone as dumb as that was hardly worth my time. But hardly was my time was still worth my time, and I couldn't let someone attack my pride like that. Tarabel was as dumb as dumb could come.

Laden with weapons from the Cornucopia, I approached my nemeses' "hiding" spot, pulling out two long, jagged knives as I went. The knives would cause more damage than straight knives, but more importantly, they would hurt a lot more. The girls noticed me before I was there, but it didn't matter. They didn't have a chance against me, even two on one. They had nothing, and I had everything.

After a quick exchange of words that I didn't hear, Tarabel took off running like the coward she was. Tatiana ran at me, and I assumed she was going as fast as she could, but something about her seemed off. I confirmed that something was definitely off when I sliced her arm open and she didn't pull back, or seem to notice that I had cut her. She just lunged for my throat. I wasn't intimidated by that at all, because I knew she would try to kill me, but I was surprised by that attack. It didn't take me long to counter, though. I easily stabbed her again, twisting the knife for maximum pain, and again she didn't seem to notice. I had to assume she was only pretending not to notice, but it was still weird.

Tatiana would not stop coming at me. She wasn't even my main goal, but I couldn't disentangle myself from her long enough to go after Tarabel. She was bleeding all over the place, but she still refused to leave me alone. Some people would have been dead from that, but apparently being completely insane left her immune to my wounds. I could hardly comprehend how she was still standing, but I knew she wouldn't leave me until she was dead. I also knew she didn't deserve a quick and easy death after all that she had put my through, and I couldn't afford the amount of time it would take to give her a long death. She was actually managing to injure me, despite the fact that her only weapons were fingernails and teeth. She had bit me a lot, and although I wasn't bleeding as much as she was, it still hurt.

Luckily, we were on a mountain. A mountain is basically a slope of death. I let Tatiana back me towards the edge little by little, and when she tried to run at me, I grabbed onto her and shoved her past me. She tried to grab my sleeve, but her hand-eye coordination was off, and she missed me entirely. I decided that it definitely wasn't just her insanity that kept her going. Somehow, something had gone wrong in the Arena. She fell slowly, and I didn't bother to wait for the cannon. I could deal with her easily later. I had a different person to find.

* * *

 **So yeah. The correct dosage was one pill, so Tati was basically super drunk throughout this whole thing. It made the experience a lot better.**


	48. But Why

**This chapter only has two POVs, but it's still actually average length? The length wasn't intentional, but I'm not skimping out on y'all. Next chapter just might be long, and I don't want two obnoxiously long ones in a row.**

* * *

 **Annika Knight (18) D1F**

Still flicking little bits of blood off of my fingers, I walked off with Luna. She and I were clearly different in many aspects; her only reason for the Games was her mother, while mine was myself; her reason to win was her life, mine was just glory. I didn't much care about whether I lived or died in the Games, and if I could get rich and enjoy life while dead I would die. Of course, I didn't consider that a good reason for going into the Games. Riches were just my little consolation prize if I won. My top priority, though, was washing blood off me. I was bound to get some on me, but that didn't make it any less nasty.

A clear rift was forming in the alliance. I made a mental note to keep it in check, but I could let it grow a bit before I got too worried. The boys were less bloodthirsty than I was, which was saying something, so they would probably let us separate in peace if we chose to leave at all. For the time being, I figured we were safe. There were still plenty of supplies, and we had plenty of mutual enemies to get around to before we turned on each other. I did have to make sure I was well on Luna's side. I didn't mind having some people allied with others, but I wanted at least one person allied with me.

Wiping my hands off in the snow to force off every drop of blood that hadn't soaked into my skin, I tried to figure out how to get Luna to value me more highly. I offered help in fighting, but so did the boys. Luna probably trusted me more because I hadn't started separating, but I needed something more certain. I couldn't really offer much moral support; Luna tended to be loud and happy, while I was quiet. Really, anything I did would be a reach for something to make me safer. I figured all I could really do was to make myself more trustworthy, and I only knew one sure-fire way to do that. "Wanna play truth or dare?"

Truth or dare was a game, through and through. However, it showed that I trusted Luna not to make me kill myself, ruin my chances, or tell her something I wouldn't be able to tell. Luna considered for a second before nodding. "You go first. I pick dare."

"Ok, hm... I dare you to take off your shoes and socks and stand in the snow for a minute." We had blankets at the camp, so I assumed that wouldn't be life-threatening. Luna made a face, but she did her dare. She had to prove she wasn't chicken.

"Ok. truth or dare, Annika?" Luna asked me as she put her socks back on. She was shivering slightly, and it made sense.

"Truth!"

"All right. Do you like Marlin, Chao, or Uriah more? Like, like like, not just friends."

"Wow. That's hard. I don't know them! I guess probably Chao, since he has to be a gentleman." I pretended to care way more than I really did. I didn't need a man in my life. I was doing fine on my own. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth!"

"Who was your biggest crush back in the District?"

"That's so mean! He could see this!" I stuck my tongue out at Luna. She had to answer the question. "Ugh. I guess Chlorine. He had these really dreamy blue eyes, blonde hair, and he was good at everything. Plus he had freckles, which are super cute." Luna blushed while she spoke, and she quickly continued, "Truth or dare?"

"Truth," I said again, some laughter in my eyes. Luna hated the one truth she got, and I was avoiding dares. I didn't want cold feet.

"What's the one thing you did back in your District that you regret most?"

The question hit me like a rock. I knew the answer right away, but I wanted to lie. I didn't want Luna to know that. I had gone into the game expecting that question, though, and I knew being honest would make Luna feel like we were something special. "Promise not to tell anyone? I don't much care about the people back home." Luna nodded, excitement shining clear across her entire face. I took a deep breath. "You know my sister is dead. It's kinda a combination. I regret never finding her killer and getting revenge, but I regret being the one who lived even more."

Luna gasped. "That's terrible!" She didn't say anything after that. Tears were welling up in her eyes, and she didn't need to say anything. She just hugged me. I added one more thing to the list of regrets. After disrespecting my sister for so long, in so many ways, I had added another thing to my list. I had used her just to scrape up an ally.

* * *

 **Marlin Hasvak (18) D4M**

Uriah and Chao were happy as clams telling stories about themselves. They seemed really open and free. I appreciated that, and I wanted to do the same, but I wasn't sure if I could. I knew if I said the wrong thing I could potentially lose an ally, and I thought I had already said something wrong. I hadn't beaten Serena. I had just outlasted her. Our situations were different, and she still probably deserved to win more than I did. She just couldn't, and I likely couldn't either. I knew my little mistake wasn't something to be dwelled on, but I dwelled on it all the same. It felt big to me, even if it wasn't.

Chao turned to me and said, "So, did you have a girlfriend back home?" I wasn't sure why he asked me that. All of us had enough to miss without actively thinking about our District. I didn't mind the question, but it seemed more random than anything we needed.

"Not really. I mostly focused on my friends and my training. What about you?" I asked Chao.

"No. I could have, and my parents wouldn't have minded. They trust me. But I was always more focused on being the perfect Carrier. I guess I'm doing that now, but I think I missed a lot. The Games are cool and all, but I wish I had spent less time training and more time on living..." No one spoke for a couple of seconds, and we all considered the truthfulness of his statement. Uriah hadn't had as much of a chance to live as we had, but he had still missed out on a lot. "What about you, Uriah?" Chao finished.

"Nah. I didn't have time for that, what with work and training. I'm on the same boat as you. I think my life was well-spent, though. The District will help Nova out if I don't win, and I helped as much as I could back in the District. I don't think my parents will make Nova volunteer or anything if I don't win, too, which is good. I did this on my own." I was certainly happy for that. I knew what it was to be forced into the Games for a sibling, and while Uriah didn't, he understood at least vaguely what it meant.

"Well, why should we even win, then?" Chao asked. He was clearly joking, but it actually was a decent question. We wanted to live, but why bother living?

"This is a terrible time for an existential crisis, but what even is the point of life? Why should we even bother staying alive? Like, a ton of things about life stink, and I can't really say the good outweighs the bad all the time. Why bother?" It wasn't the time for an existential crisis, but it didn't hurt to ask.

"I have to live to make life easier on Nova," Uriah answered. "Other than that, I don't have much of a reason. The District would help her, like I said, but not as much as being related to a Victor would."

Chao said, "I need to be the Carrier for my family. My entire family tree leads to me, and I need to keep it going. If I die, everything will fall apart. My grandma doesn't have enough time to train my siblings in the Ways before they're adults. She might not even have enough time if they weren't already old." He trailed off after he said that. It was clear he was realizing that he could have squandered away some of his last moments with his family, whether or not he won.

Both of those reasons seemed good to me. My only reason was making my parents proud. I couldn't do that without winning the Games, now, but what would I do once I won? I came into the Games for one of the worst reasons, and I was starting to believe that I was going to win for a bad one. Without someone to live for, life was worthless.


	49. Feast

**Tatiana Kokolo (17) D11F**

I had a long way to fall. I had no idea how far I was going to fall or exactly why I was falling, but I fell a long way. I hit the ground with a thud, and I rolled. It hurt to roll, but the roll probably saved my life. I hit less hard than I should have if I rolled, so I didn't break as much as I should have. My arm was messed up a bit, since I landed on my side, but it wasn't entirely pulverized. My cannon hadn't gone off, and that was my main form of proof that I was alive. Without that, I would have been so out of it that I wouldn't have been able to tell if I was awake or asleep.

Little by little the medicine wore off. I came out my haze and suddenly everything hurt. My side hurt. My arm really hurt, and my chest hurt. I was coated in blood, and I wasn't sure exactly why. I had clearly gotten in a fight with someone, and with how much it hurt, it was probably Gadeloth. Any other tribute would have just kille me in the state I was in. I was out of bandages, but I was also a wolf girl. I tore up most of my shirt to make better bandages for myself, but I left a little bit on. A small amount of modesty was good, but only that small amount was necessary.

A piercing squeak sounded while I was wrapping myself up, and I worried I had broken some unknown rule of the Games. Seconds later, I heard a voice. "Hello, tributes of the 19th Hunger Games. This year there will be a feast. Head to the Cornucopia for food and supplies. Attendance is mandatory." Another squeak sounded and then there was silence. I had no idea what the feast was for. Nothing like that had ever happened in the past. However, if attendance was mandatory, I was going to go. I didn't want to know what Draco and the others had planned for tributes that decided to skip.

Luckily for me, I wasn't far from the Cornucopia. I had been making progress up the mountain, but being thrown down the mountain meant I could get there quickly. That was good news, since I wasn't certain how far I could travel in the state I was in. I was really torn up, and if I had been higher up Tarabel would have had to carry me. I realized after that thought that that was another good thing about the feast. Tarabel had to be there, too, and we would meet up again. And if supplies were there, there was a good chance I could get some more painkillers.

* * *

 **Gabriel Welson (16) D9M**

 _You have got to be kidding me._ Of all the places to hold the feast, it was going to be held at the bottom of the mountain. I was excited to get food, and I was hugely excited at the thought of whatever other supplies there would be. Draco said "food and supplies," not just food. There would probably be coats, then, and maybe some other forms of heat. I was just not too happy about being forced to travel all the way back down the mountain to get there. Sure, we had been travelling slowly, and we weren't ridiculously high up, but we had been making good progress. All of it was going to go down the drain for a likely experimental idea.

"What even made Draco want to have a feast? It's cool to give us some food, but won't that slow down the Games?" I asked Falia as we travelled. Having all of the tributes packed in one place for a while could potentially cause fighting, but we would all be stuffing our faces. We had some solid priorities.

"I don't know. Maybe some company wanted to be able to say that even tributes chose their food. It could be a good marketing strategy, and companies would pay top dollar for some in-Games advertising."

"That's true, I guess. It's just annoying. Like, food is yay, but travelling for hours to get so food is nay." That wasn't my usual way of speaking, but it sounded kind of cool. I liked it.

"Ugh! I know. Couldn't they have a feast at the start of the Games and then just let the tributes handle everything afterwards. We better get something good from this," Falia said. I couldn't tell if she was really frustrated or if she was just humoring me, but it sounded real.

"You know what? Screw this." We were walking down, but we were about to get tons of food. We could waste some calories. "Last one down is a rotten egg!" I broke into a full-on sprint, trying to reach the Cornucopia as quickly as I could. I wasn't certain what the Capitol defined as a feast, but I didn't want to risk missing out on some of the food. There was sure to be tons of food, but it was better as much as possible than less than possible.

* * *

 **Uriah Chance (18) D1M**

A feast was something new. None of the Careers were certain of exactly what we should do. It would be the perfect chance for us to take out a lot of other tributes, since it was practically a second Bloodbath, but it would also be a good time to get some extra food. The Cornucopia had some food, but it wasn't stocked with as much as it could have been. Extra food was always a necessity, since there was no way we would kill all of the tributes before some had time to get away. "I say we just stuff our faces and hide all the food we can. Let the other tributes get some, since we can't possibly stop them, and then when they disperse they disperse. If we want to kill some after that, they could be slow because they'll be so full."

"Well yeah, but we could just shoot them all right away. Everyone will be there, our kill counts will shoot up, and suddenly it's just the Careers," Annika argued.

"But do you want to be left with nothing but Careers? Obviously it's cool, but then we don't have a solid chance as individuals. We should let some of them stick around so we have time to separate in peace," Marlin said. He had some guts to say that, but it was something every one of us was thinking. With five Careers duking it out, our training suddenly meant a lot less.

"I say we just eat. We can afford like thirty minutes of peace, and since this is our camp we get dibs on the food. We'll definitely get more food than the others, since they won't risk taking most of it from us," Luna said. Chao nodded, which made four for peace, and it was decided. We could actually feast.

Since we were at the Cornucopia, we got to see the table rise into the Arena. It was some cool mechanics. I couldn't tell exactly what was going on, but it was cool. The table was covered with food, weapons, coats, blankets, and mittens. It was just like another Bloodbath, and there were more weapons than food. I figured the Gamemakers wanted us to kill each other, but we wouldn't. I just dug into a juicy cheeseburger while other tributes started pouring into the area.

* * *

 **Once upon a time, everyone told me to have a feast last Games. This is the nineteenth Games, so it's the first. Congrats, you earned your tributes some food.**


	50. Psyche

**Tarabel Aspen (17) D12F**

 _Well then._ Tatiana convinced me to run. I hated fleeing, acting like a coward, but Tatiana did have a point. There was no chance of us winning, so we may as well only let one of us have a slow and painful death. I was grateful that Tatiana had volunteered instead of saying he was my nemesis so it was my problem, and I had to give her a nod of respect for her loyalty. She wanted to be a wolf, and she certainly stayed true to her pack. I was happy that she was too doped up on pain medicine to know how much damage Gadeloth was doing, and that was one of the only things I had to be happy about.

The feast mostly meant terror. I had to face Gadeloth whether or not I wanted to, since we both had to attend the feast. It did mean meeting back up with Tatiana if she didn't die on her journey, since she would be there to, but the cons outweighed the pros. Most of the tributes wouldn't fight each other, since most of the tributes sought peace. Gadeloth was probably the only one who would attack, and I was his only target. I should have had to get around him to reach the Cornucopia, but I probably had all the time in the world. There was always another way.

My other way was a slow one. When faced with walking around an entire freakin' mountain or facing a murderous psychopath with tons of weapons, I decided to get my feet sore. It was a long path, but with abit of luck Gadeloth would follow me instead of taking a shortcut. If he did, I would either get a weapon and a chance or at least die with a full belly. If he didn't follow me I was still toast, unless Tatiana managed to beat both of us there. Even with how much closer she was than I was, I didn't think that would happen in her state.

Gadeloth followed me. He followed me all along the slow, labourious trip around the base of the mountain, right near the forcefield I was going to shove him into if he attacked me. He followed me at a run, and I ran away, pretending to be scared. In reality, I was running towards Tatiana. She had beaten us to the feast, and she had prepared herself a heaping plate of food. When she saw me she dropped it, and I actually had to stop myself from hugging her. I had pride and she had wounds. I did pick some of her food up and eat it, though. Gadeloth could wait.

* * *

 **Falia Oakarm (14) D7F**

"I'm no rotten egg!" was my mighty battlecry as I ran into the Cornucopia. I had no business being faster than Gabriel, and I wasn't, but I certainly gave him a run for his money. He had to sprint the entire way, when he clearly expected he would just be able to jog a good part of it. I was terribly out of breath and my throat was raw by the time I hit the Cornucopia, but I hit it mere seconds after Gabriel. He was breathing heavily too, but the outcome of our frantic run was worth it.

Almost every tribute had beaten us to the Cornucopia, with the exception of Tarabel and Gadeloth who arrived about the same time as we did. None of the tributes were fighting, even though it was a good time to take out a bunch of enemies at once, and even Gadeloth didn't immediately maul Tarabel. He took his time getting some food together and settled for a death glare. Some tributes were gathered around the table, some were sitting away from it, but no one touched anything except food. The Careers were clearly guarding the other supplies, but the weapons were just left on the table. It was a tense situation, and if anyone grabbed a weapon everyone probably would, but until then it could be comparatively calm to the rest of the Games.

I walked to the table with Gabriel, picking out some lovely bits and pieces of Capitolite food. There was ice cream, which I avoided like the plague, hot pie, which I took almost half of, and tons of meat. I took a lobster tail and some crab legs, since those were apparently delicacies, and a piece of cake. Normally I was supposed to be logical with what I ate, since we only had so much, but in the Games I could just stuff my face with whatever I felt like, and I intended to do so. I was one of the first tributes in nineteen years to get to pig out, and I was taking advantage of it.

Gabriel sat down next to me, his plate also full of food that couldn't be considered a balanced meal. We stuffed our faces, practically inhaling our food. I wasn't too suspicious of the other tributes, since most of them didn't want a fight, but it was better safe than sorry. That, combined with the fact that the Capitol could end the feast at any time, was plenty reason for me to rush through my meal.

* * *

 **Tatiana Kokolo (17) D11F**

Tarabel came into the feast tagged by Gadeloth. Hopefully she would exit the feast tagged by either no one or a ghost. I had nabbed some supplies from Marlin before the jerk Careers decided everything except food was theirs, and I had bandage and painkillered myself up. I could fight Gadeloth in near prime condition, with how well Capitol medicine worked, and I intended to do so.

Plans can get messed up. Another slight feedback sounded and I heard some annoyed mutters, with peace and gore being mentioned. Before we had time to figure out what that meant, the Gamemakers apologized for technical difficulties. Then, to make their apology seem sincere, they sent in a bunch of wolves. A bunch of tributes screamed, and they tried to flee, but it was a big pack. Even the Careers were threatened by a pack that large.

I was excited, and I was the only tribute happy to see the wolves. I ran up to them, finally happy to find one of my own. I acted submissively, since I knew I wasn't the leader, but they didn't take the hint. Tarabel screamed something awful and tried to stop me from going near the Capitol inventions, but I didn't listen. I didn't meet up with a wolf pack. I met a bunch of monsters.

* * *

 **Raze Hirohito (15) D6F**

So the Capitol decided to screw us over. That was no surprise. I was only surprised by the fact that they had let us chill for a while before massacring us. That was something the Capitol didn't do all the time, unlike viciously murdering multiple young children in yet another twisted new way. Simply put, I was more ticked than I was surprised or scared, and I decided to use that. Rage could be bad, but properly used, it was good.

I figured that, since all heck had broken loose, I could grab a weapon without getting killed. I grabbed weird spikey rings, since Marlin called dibbed on the easier-to-use brass knuckles and I wasn't prepared to fight another Career. Annika glared at me, but she was too busy fighting wolves to to anything about me. I just started lunging at whatever wolves I could. Most of the tributes weren't my allies, but that was a good time to earn some brownie points.

* * *

 **Cole** **Sterling (18) D10M**

Nigella and Alix were both being attacked by a swarm of wolves. I wasn't their allies, but against my better judgement, I decided to sort of avenge Mara, since she had died in the Bloodbath through Nigella confusion. It was illogical, but it made my hero move feel like less of an entirely idiotic thing to do.

I grabbed Nigella and threw her backwards, which ripped open the arm a wolf had but pulled her to safety. I was already too late for Alix, who had three wolves on her. Nigella ran, tears streaming from her eyes, while a bunch of cannons went off. The wolves that had been on Nigella and Alix all switched to attacking me, and another cannon fired.

* * *

 **Alix Hessia-Rhine (14) D5F**

There were so many wolves. I didn't know wolves liked to travel in packs that big. There had to be a lot of males, and males didn't mix. I also didn't know where they all came from. Every crevice, nook, or cranny had another mess of teeth and claws climbing out of it, and there was no way to avoid them all. Everyone was going to leave the feast injured, or not leave at all.

Cole almost came to my rescue. He was so close he had time so save Nigella. I was happy for that. He didn't have time to save me. The cannon that I assumed was mine went off before I was even dead. There was nothing one little girl could do against all of those wolves. I was still happy, though. I knew I wasn't going to win from the beginning. At least Nigella's chances had just shot up.

* * *

 **Annika Knight (18) D1F**

I was not going to let my last non-panicked thought be screw Raze sideways. I couldn't afford to let that happen. I would have to haunt my own spirit, which would get really confusing, and probably break our dimension. It would not end well for anyone if I died amongst all of those wolves. I just wasn't sure how well I would be able to avoid it.

There were tons of wolves. That proved that the Capitol had wanted a fight, and they had a backup plan if we hadn't pulled through. Their plan was successful. Our Games would go down in history. It was one of the few incidents when even the Careers were worried. We could hardly get to each other to fight properly, and we didn't have any hopes of winning. We could just slow the wolves down until the Gamemakers decided it was enough carnage for one day.

* * *

 **Gabriel Welson (16) D9M**

Falia couldn't run as quickly as I could when she was headed to the feast. Given a far better incentive, she could run a lot faster than I could. She escaped the wolves mostly succesfuly, managing to only get some nips and scratches from wolves before they chose meatier targets. Too bad for me, I was one of the meatier targets.

One wolf could have taken me down. I was cold, numb, and almost in a food-coma. The Capitol wasn't going to take the risk of only having one wolf attack me, though. It was always better safe than sorry, as the five wolves surrounding me proved. I was bound to go down, but I could go down fighting. I scratched, bit, and kicked each wolf that got near me, doing everything I could to make the mutts leave in as many pieces as I did.

* * *

 **Chao Chiang (18) D2M**

Holding off the mutts for as long as we could was our only option. It worked really well for most of us, but one of us was bound to get the short end of the stick. Marlin and Luna were being attacked more fiercely than we were, but Annika, Uriah and I were being kept at bay by the other wolves. All I could do for a while was keep the wolves from getting to me. I heard a screech from Luna and saw her arm torn open from elbow to wrist, and my actions changed.

I could jump higher than a wolf was tall, and the wolves would never see it coming. That was how I got out of the circle I was originally in. I sliced the wolf on Luna open, allowing her to protect herself and getting us in the bigger circle. We finally had a chance, but the wolves decided to be spiteful. They pretended to back off and let us drop our weapons for a second before lunging at me. We ripped as many apart as we could, but there were probably twenty of them for each one of us. My allies did everything they could, but the wolves managed to tear my torso apart as much as we tore them apart.

"Chao!" Luna whined as I bled out. She put any bandages and ointments she could on me, but even Capitol medicine couldn't fix someone as messed up as I was.

I nodded. "Ciao."

* * *

 **Ok, so this isn't too much of a psyche. None of you seemed to be convinced that the tributes would eat peacefully. Well, they did, but the Gamemakers didn't...**

 **SO WE HAD ANOTHER BLOODBATH. Which was actually bigger than my first Bloodbath. A lot of eulogies today:**

 **18th Place: Tatiana Kokolo - Torn apart by wolves**

 **Tatiana was a boss tribute. She was super fun to write, she was unique, and she had tons of cool traits. She was actually one of my favorite tributes, and I would have kept her alive if I didn't feel bad letting her live through that beating and fall. She died pretty well, and may have been the reason that I chose wolf mutts. Thank you SparkHat for Tatiana, who was definitely one of the coolest tributes I've gotten.**

 **17th Place: Alix Hessia-Rhine - Torn apart by wolves**

 **Alix was also cool. She was a fun character that was fun to write. She made a great ally for Nigella, with her love of knowledge balancing Nigella's love of emotion, and she played well. This chapter kind of required a lot of death, though, and her form noted that she would rather her ally win than her. Cole had no way to know that, but it worked. Thank you to MRKenn for Alix, who was a fun tribute to write and gave me a good time.**

 **16th Place: Cole Sterling - Torn apart by wolves**

 **Cole was fun. He had good strengths and weaknesses, and he was strong without being ridiculous. That's not something you get from every tribute, and definitely not something you always see in Ten. He just seemed like the type of person to try and save people, and his form noted that he was "a little bit reckless." Making him risk his life to save someone was likely a misinterpretation, but he died valiantly. Thank you Graywolf44 for Cole, who was a good learning experience for me.**

 **15th Place: Gabriel Welson - Torn apart by wolves**

 **The jig is up. Gabriel was a good tribute, but he wasn't the tribute for me. I couldn't write him with enthusiasm, so I decided he would be one of the ones to go here. He was still a good tribute, and his personality was cool. His form noted that he should die fighting off a lot of wolves but eventually being overpowered, and this was definitely an opportune time for that to happen. Thank you gameshungerplayer for Gabriel, who was a good chance for me to learn how to write.**

 **14th Place: Chao Chiang - Torn apart by wolves**

 **Chao did get the short end of the stick. I wanted to get rid of at least one Career here, and he didn't seem to be the strongest or most popular. He was definitely a good character, and he was unique. His backstory was super cool and he wasn't just some generic "Give honor" Career. He had a good reason for everything he did, which is awesome. Thank you snowstar2 for Chao, who was definitely a good character to write and seemed fun to read.**

 **You have no idea how long I've been planning Chao's final scene. I had to write parts of the chapter around it. Hopefully "Chao" was supposed to sound like "Ciao," because it will forever now.**

 **Also, for POV counts, if you got one of the tiny POVs that was just breaking up deaths it doesn't count towards your tribute's POV count. Also, Luna is noted. I keep count of POVs each tribute has, and now everyone has one (and Falia and Tarabel have two).**


	51. There's So Many Dead Peeps Wow

**Guess what idiot forgot to do tribute eulogies? This idiot. So here we get nothing but eulogies, because fifteen-hundred words is plenty. I might update again today, though. We need moar story.**

* * *

 **Ovid Leek (D5 Mentor)**

We were out. I was sad to see both of the tributes go, but neither of their death's surprised me. I wished the Capitol would raise the minimum age for the Reaping, since kids those ages didn't stand a chance against the others. Alix was an amazing girl, and I was intrigued. Her life had as much danger as mine. Cote was cool, but he didn't catch my eye quite as much as Alix. I knew without knowing him personally that he didn't deserve to die.

* * *

 **District Five**

The market-goers of Five noticed Alix's absence immediately. Suddenly they were out of books, and any books they did have shot up in value. Her parents never laid claim to the dead girl from Five, so Five was never sure who missed her, if anyone. The Fuller's household changed drastically. Rolando had a large change of heart about just how bad of a person he was, and Cote's parents hardly knew how to live without them. The family might not have lasted if not held together by each other.

* * *

 **Bessie Deere (D10 Mentor)**

I missed Mara as soon as she walked into the Arena. For her, it was the point of no return. She was a sweet little girl who should have lived long past the Bloodbath. There never should have been a Bloodbath in her life. I was surprised to see Cole go. Two years in a row I was blessed with strong males, and both years the Arena ruined it. I was glad he died as he lived. He really was a hero.

* * *

 **District Ten**

The Allouette family had a hard time without Mara. She did most of the chores, but that wasn't their focus. Dani freaked out because he had lost a great friend, and Kaleria was crushed because she knew her sister didn't deserve any of the treament she had received in her unfair life. The Sterling family was ruined by Cole's deaths. Despite hite strength, they didn't think he would win. They knew he stood a chance, if only he would abandon his morals. That was something he wouldn't do, and they were glad he died how he would have lived.

* * *

 **Harvest Cormmick (D11 Mentor)**

Tatiana was something else. Tributes like her weren't supposed to exist, and they shouldn't be in the Reaping bowl. She was an amazing girl, but she wasn't like the rest of the tributes. Had she come to her senses, she would have avoided the wolves, but I knew as soon as the rumors of wolves were spread that Tatiana wouldn't abandon her pack. Trevor was a nice kid, and he shouldn't have been Reaped. He knew what he was doing in the Games. He was smart. There was just nothing that could be done about snow.

* * *

 **District Eleven**

Harric and Luma were used to having Tatiana away from the house. She only returned when it was necessary. They stuck to imagining that she was out with the wolves, where she belonged. They never bothered to pretend she would come home someday, though. Only that she was happy. Trevor's family really was messed up by his death. His siblings lost their best role model and their best friend, and his father lost a son. He also lost a paycheck that they needed to keep the family alive, but they were well off from other families' gifts.

* * *

 ** _Nova Nyan_ (Annika Knight)**

I remembered that girl. She was the girl Chao killed. She could be happy in her grave, knowing that Chao hadn't lived either. She didn't seem like that type of girl. I expected she would be sad that Chao left, and she would comfort him in whatever afterlife there was. Seeing her face in the sky almost made me regret heading into the Games. It seemed truly symbolic of what the Games truly were.

* * *

 ** _Twixton Delver_ (Uriah Chance)**

That was the kid I killed. I stomped his throat in, and I was expected to be proud of it. That kid didn't deserve to have his throat crushed. Kids didn't deserve to be murderers, and we didn't deserve to be victins of our environment. I knew nothing about that kid except that he really liked sunglasses, and that everything about him was now past tense.

* * *

 ** _Mara Allouette_ (Totsuki Sugihara)**

It was another kid the Careers kinda killed. I was kinda a Career, and I kinda killed her. She really got lucky with her death. Gadeloth could have done a lot worse. I felt no remorse in myself for killing her. She needed to die if I was to live. That being said, I felt no pride. She wasn't some animal I was meant to kill. She was a human. I recognized and respected that. I just couldn't let it stop me.

* * *

 ** _Cote Fuller_ (Marlin Hasvak)**

I didn't kill that kid. He was another kid I didn't kill, but I helped kill him. I chased him down and separated him from his friends. I helped Chao stab him and I made sure the rest of us had a high morale. I made sure that the Careers would slaughter as many teens and pre-teens as possible. Cote was a cool kid. He didn't deserve the death he got. But we gave it to him, and we would keep giving those deaths away.

* * *

 ** _Denver Crane_ (Demi Ryea)**

Denver was a good ally and a good friend. Seeing his face in the sky really shook me up, and Giovanni cried a little. I could understand why. Denver was worth more than all of Panem, just because he wasn't a terrible person. His death was a necessity, which stopped me from being too crushed, but it didn't stop me from feeling bad. I couldn't have stopped it for sure, but I could have made his chances of survival a lot higher.

* * *

 ** _Trevor_ (Fletcher Kozlowski)**

I wasn't sure what killed that kid. We would have heard him if it was Gadeloth, and we would have heard the delight if it was the Careers. He just died, like happened in the Arena, or there was another killer. All of us were going to be killers, but I didn't want another one just yet. Trevor could easily be just the start of someone's reign, and we didn't need any more villains. The President was plenty without him successfully tainting children.

* * *

 ** _Tatiana Kokolo_ (Tarabel Aspen)**

Tatiana was a great ally. Seeing her face in the sky brought tears to my eyes, and I wasn't one for crying. I didn't know how I was going to live wihout her. At home I never got sentimental over anything. I never got joy from my kills, and I never felt much love for my friends. Somehow, the insane wolf made me bond with someone against my will, and reignited my will to win. It gave me an extra passion against Gadeloth. It would be indirect vengeance to take him out, and Tati was worth vengeance.

* * *

 ** _Alix Hessia-Rhine_ (Nigella Coriander)**

My ally was in the sky. I knew she'd be up there. I knew she would be one of the many that became nothing but a code in the air. That didn't stop my tears from flowing all over again once I saw her. Cole should have saved her and not me. I wasn't worth as much as that girl. She had so much to her that I couldn't comprehend, and she would be happy that I survived, even though I wasn't worth her happiness.

* * *

 ** _Cole Sterling_ (Raze Hirohito)**

Cole was a cool guy. I noticed him playing hero just like I did when the wolves attacked. He was more of a hero than I was, and he paid a higher price than I did. I commended him for his work even if I couldn't tell him in person just yet. I noticed his upsetness that he only saved one girl, but it wasn't "only." He managed to save one girl who no one else bothered to help, and he managed to save a blooming woman.

* * *

 ** _Gabriel Welson_ (Falia Oakarm)**

 _Oh._ So that was why he hadn't followed me out of the Cornucopia. He hadn't gone out of the Cornucopia at all. I suspected as much when the cannons went off. There were more than there should have been. A couple of tears ran down my face when his death was confirmed. They froze on my face just like Gabriel was now frozen in place, just like time would never move for him again. None of them made it down to my chin, and Gabriel would never finish the path he was meant to have.

* * *

 ** _Chao Chiang_** **(Luna Irika)**

He saved me. Chao jumped into a dangerous position and _died_ just to save me. It was so solid. It was so concrete. There was nothing that could ever be done to make it so that he hadn't died or saved me, and that hurt me. It was good to know how valuable he was. It was good to know he had died honorably like he should have. It just would have been better to know the Capitol didn't get to kill him at all.


	52. Ding Dong

**Falia Oakarm (14) D7F**

The Gamemakers probably wanted drama when they sent out wolves. They certainly got their drama. Even as one of the people who got out quickly, I was definitely hurt. I had a huge scratch down my arm and bites from my chest. Raze saved my life, though I couldn't tell if it was on purpose or an accident. Frankly, I didn't care. As long as I was alive I was alive, and that was the most important thing in the Games. It was one of the most important things anywhere, but I could see a couple of things coming above that. Allies were one of those things, but I didn't have to worry about my allies any longer.

 _No, Falia. You can't focus on that from every point._ My inner-being was right. I couldn't let myself focus on Gabriel, even if he was a valuable asset to my survival. I had to focus on the good things, like my full belly, and how now there were fewer people between me and the Victory. It was a harsh line of thought, but it was one I intended to keep up. If I got too discouraged I could easily lose the Games just through not being able to focus on any one given thing, by not having a shelter and by not gathering enough food or water. I needed a shelter. I needed a plan.

Our old plan was pretty well crushed by the feast. I couldn't easily slip to the top of the mountain in my pitiful state, and I couldn't very well stay still. I wasn't far enough away from the Cornucopia to be safe for sure, and I couldn't risk uncertainty. I decided on moving as far vertically as I could and then focusing on horizontally. That way I would get a good amount of distance whether or not I tired quickly, because Careers liked to travel in spirals. If they did go for a hunt, they would probably run into someone else before me.

That plan also didn't work very well. Even the slight incline of the mountain quickly proved too much for me. My wounds started bleeding any more from the stress of climbing, even though it wasn't much stress at all. I decided to dig myself a basic hole and sleep. I could last one night in the cold, even if my shelter was terrible. I needed to re-energize before I would be able to think clearly. I was stressed and traumatized. Instead of worrying about all of the drama, I focused on how pretty the red snow was.

* * *

 **Totsuki Sugihara (18) D2F**

Those wolves were really something else. The Gamemakers were being overly dramatic. I would have started picking the tributes off if none of the Careers did. I wasn't as fully stocked with weapons at the beginning of the feast as the other Careers were, or as I was after the feast, but I could still do a lot of damage. Most of the tributes were just sitting ducks, and those could be taken out with ease. Hence why they were called sitting ducks. I ran from the wolves, though. The Capitol shot itself in the foot, ruining most chances of a decent tribute showdown by sending something everyone would run from.

I was definitely one of the lucky ones. I arrived at the feast pretty late, so I was never as near the wolves as a lot of the other tributes. I lurked near the edge until the wolves arrived. I watched the wolves for a couple of seconds, because wolves were cool and I wanted to see their intentions, and then I booked it out of there. I didn't need to deal with wolves. One wolf came after me, but most of them had decided to stick with the rest of the others. One wolf was an easy target, and I took it out with ease. I got a lot of food from that, and I used its pelt as a blanket. It was bloody and gross, but also a blanket.

Tons of cannons went off. I didn't mind. Sure, I wasn't the one getting those kills, and sure I could use some more kills, but dead was dead. It was better dead without my hand than not dead at all, as I liked to think. That meant I was mostly uninjured, except the bite one wolf gave me, while other tributes were horribly bloody and ruined. I was definitely in a good position, and I wasn't going to give that position up. I had meat, warmth, and shelter, and I was going to stay in place.

* * *

 **Gadeloth Grinsley (18) D12M**

Screw the wolves. Screw the Gamemakers. Most of all, screw Tarabel. Something was wrong with that witch. She stayed happy despite how scared she should have been. She cried over a lost ally that should have been nothing to her. I couldn't get her upset at all, but that crazy wolf girl could get her worked up? She didn't know what Tatiana had done. She didn't know that Tatiana was almost as insane as she was. All the same, she valued that odd girl. At least Tarabel finally began to recognize that I was a threat, but it was too late for that. I didn't care if she surrendered and begged for forgiveness. I was going to kill that girl if it was the last thing I did.

She didn't have much of a chance against me. I almost felt bad attacking her in the state she was in. She was scared and upset because of the kid, while I felt nothing but anger. She had one measly weapon she snatched during the chaos, while I had everything I could need. She actually had feelings and logical thoughts, while I had evolved past that point. I was Tarabel's superior in every way, from gender to strength to mind, and all she could do was wait for the slow, painful death I was going to give her. Killing her wasn't enough. It had never been, but things were just getting worse for her. I was vengeful and spiteful, and I had no intentions to let Tarabel get away with a single thing she did.

I took a deep breath. I didn't need to be composed to beat Tarabel, but I had to be composed to get the right response from her. Maybe she would finally bow to me and admit defeat, worthless as it was. I walked up to her, completely casually. She was the type of person to sneak attack. I was, too, if I needed to. I just didn't. I didn't even pull my weapon out before going up to her. I would give her plenty of time to surrender or prepare before I started fighting her. This would be a fair fight or not a fight at all. Despite Tarabel's best efforts, she got more honor than any of my other opponents ever did. Most of them got trapped without a thought. I tapped Tarabel on the shoulder and she flinched. And so it began.

* * *

 **Tarabel Aspen (17) D12F**

 _Frick. Frick. FRICK. FrIcK._ All that was going through my mind was various levels of frick. I had some thoughts in the background, but they were wordless ideas, only flitting around for a second before leaving me to my panic. Everything was going wrong. Tatiana was supposed to help me fight Gadeloth. I was supposed to have tons of weapons. I was supposed to be in peak condition. The feast was supposed to be a turning point that would let me win against Gadeloth, but instead it just screwed everything up. There was nothing to be done but sink beneath Gadeloth's level and fight dirty when even he wouldn't.

I was curled away from Gadeloth. He couldn't see me very well at all, and he was approaching me. He tapped me on the shoulder and my quiet thoughts escalated to screams I couldn't plan well above. I grasped madly at the basic but hopefully useful plan I had made before full panic had attacked me. I was injured. I could use that. Gadeloth was hugely narcissistic. I could use that. I had a couple of items on me. I had a pen. I had a small pocketknife. I had a slightly larger throwing knife. I wasn't sure exactly how I could use those, but I had a basic idea.

I screamed. I screamed as loudly as I could, making my voice crack and my throat almost immediately go hoarse. Gadeloth pulled away a little bit, and I pulled away even farther. He tapped me on the shoulder again, and I lunged at him. Better to look like a frantic animal than actually become one, and that gave me a sneak attack. It wasn't much against all of what Gadeloth had, but it was something, and that first move could count for a lot. It didn't, because I barely got my knife into him before Gadeloth pulled away again, giving him the advantage of reach which I knew he wasn't going to use against me.

Gadeloth hit my arm with his knife, swearing at me under his breath. I dropped my knife and looked at it in horror. He hadn't hit me that hard, but me dropping my knife was his intention, and I made him think it worked. He smiled. He thought I was unarmed. "You know, even if I didn't have these weapons I would still win," he chuckled maniacally. "You don't have a chance, you know. Here, let me show you."

And Gadeloth dropped his weapons. Just like I thought he would. He wanted me to be ashamed and crushed. He wanted me to feel completely pitiful and helpless, and defeating me even though he didn't have any weapons and I got a sneak attack in would do the trick. Not that he was going to defeat me, or anything. I still had weapons coming out of my ears. "You know what? I'll let you hit me again. Then we'll be closer to even. You got more hurt by the wolves than I did." Gadeloth leaned down towards me so I could hit him wherever I wanted to.

 _I remember seeing this in a movie once..._ I pulled out my pocketknife. It was one of those fancy doohickeys with lots of choices on it, and I knew which option I would select. I pulled out the corkscrew and stabbed Gadeloth in the foot as hard as I could. That time he was the one screeching, and I still had one last weapon. Gadeloth tried to move away, but that was difficult with only one foot. I lunged at him again and stabbed my pen into his eye. He grabbed my injured arm and twisted it, injuring it even more. Our quick and easy brawl turned out to be a fist-fight. I could use that to my advantage.

Gadeloth would not be let off easy. I bit his arm as hard as I could, not stopping until some of his flesh ripped off in my mouth. He pulled my hair, taking out a large chunk, and I bit his arm again. That time he dropped me, and I kneed him in the groin. He bent over for a quick second, which I used to knee him in the face. He grabbed my knee and pulled me down to his level, but it didn't matter. I scratched at his throat desperately, my nails breaking but leaving long gouges in his neck. I bit his throat, too. No shame there. He grabbed one of his discarded weapons and tried to stab me, but I dodged. He was weakened. I took the weapon from his hand and stabbed him. I stabbed him in the neck, then the chest. Even though his wounds were definitely fatal, I didn't stop until his cannon fired. I wanted nothing to do with that monster.

* * *

 **This is a long chapter. Deal.**

 **13th Place: Falia Oakarm - Hypothermia and injuries**

 **You can't last one night in that weather. There is no living without shelter on a mountain. Falia's injuries sped up her death, but it was still good. I imagine she was so out of it by the time the hypothermia would have started to hurt that she just thought it was pretty and cool that she had so much color in a bland Arena. Falia was very cool and fun to write. She had a nice personality, and I liked her. I just couldn't see her winning, and I really do have to slim down the Arena now. Thank you Nighttimephoenix for Falia, who was super awesome and fun to have around.**

 **12th Place: Gadeloth Grinsley - Killed to death by Tarabel**

 **This was bound to happen at some point. Gadeloth was a cool villain who actually had a chance at the crown. Lots of villains wouldn't, but Gadeloth was cool enough for it. The problem was he was extremely cocky, I had him go insane (because look at that dude...), and I didn't know how the Capitol would deal with a serial killer (outside of the Games) Victor. But this battle was fun, and I never expected I'd get something this cool. Thanks a TON to hollowman96 for Gadeloth, who was great to read and very creative.**

 **I've noted that Tarabel has one too many POVs, but this kinda had to happen and this was an opportune time. Also, Totsuki's POV was kinda short, which I'll try to note, but we really needed an update from her. She just wasn't exactly priority this chapter.**


	53. Make Like A Banana And Split

**Marlin Hasvak (18) D4M**

Now was our opportunity. Uriah knew it. Luna was terribly injured, Annika was injured, and Uriah and I looked weak. Our fellow Careers would never expect us to be willing to leave so many supplies behind at a time like this. We wouldn't be leaving behind all of the supplies when we left, but Annika and Luna didn't know that. Letting us organize all of the supplies and put everything we wanted well within grabbing range was a terrible decision on their part, but I wasn't upset about that. It just increased my chances of winning, like every decision anyone made could do.

Uriah and I were smart enough not to nod at each other as our symbol for "Let's blow this popsicle stand," but we still needed some sort of symbol so we left at the same time. We needed to be discreet to everyone except us. We didn't really have time, so I took a wild guess at what would get Uriah's attention, pulling him over to a good stack of medical supplies. "Let's make sure _we get_ all the bacteria _out of here_ ," I said, stressing the key words slightly. If I stressed them too much Annika, who was lurking near us, might figure us out, but if I didn't stress them it might seem like a completely normal thing to say.

Uriah nodded. "Of course! We need to treat anything _as soon as possible._ " He led me out of the Cornucopia and I clutched my arm as if it was in a lot more pain than it really was. I had injured it in the giant wolf fight, but not enough for it to be a big deal. However, making it seem like a big deal made it seem a lot more logical for us to carry a bunch of supplies out of the Cornucopia with us, nearing the edge of easy range of the other Careers. We had dropped our weapons out there, as well as any food we felt we could sneak without the others noticing.

We snuck more food than we could without anyone noticing. Annika looked around the Cornucopia for the missing cans of soup, which I had thought she wouldn't consider, and squinted her eyes when she saw how far away we were from the Cornucopia. We didn't need to be that far away to heal. She casually walked over to Luna and discussed how much food we should make for lunch. _Ah dang, they know._ I looked at Uriah and nodded. Our cover was blown, so there was no point in being subtle. We took off running, picked up our weapons, and hoped they wouldn't follow us.

* * *

 **Annika Knight (18) D1F**

 _Oh no you don't!_ Uriah and Marlin could not abandon ship at a time like this. We were weak, and we needed every Career we could get to protect us from other tributes. Two weak Careers could not handle a whole alliance of tributes, if there were even other alliances left. We also could not fight off two Careers, either, if they decided they wanted our supplies. _Screw them._ I didn't know for certain what could posess them to leave at a time like this, but there they were, sneaking away from us like they thought we wouldn't notice.

I couldn't force them to stay with us. For one thing, it was impossible, but it would be pointless if it was possible. They clearly felt no loyalty to us, and we couldn't afford to have potential traitors near us. I could, however, stop them from leaving us. We really could not afford to fight them, but we couldn't afford to risk a sneak attack later. Suddenly everything was a whole lot more important than normal, and I only had seconds to make my decision.

They weren't going to leave. I whipped a spear out of the Cornucopia, despite it not being my weapon of choice, and chucked it at Uriah. It hit him, and he gasped so loudly I could hear it from where I was. Marlin and Uriah turned around so we couldn't stab them in the back anymore, and I picked up a sword. That also wasn't my favorite weapon, but it did a lot more damage than most of the other weapons in the Cornucopia. Luna, following my lead, picked up a spear and ran at the two men. _Whups, I chucked your favorite weapon. Deal with it._

Of course, Marlin and Uriah put up a fight. Both of them had their weapons of choice, having grabbed them before they took off like the cowards they were. Of course, Uriah's boomerang was mostly useless in such close conditions, but he knew how to use it just to whap us if nothing else. The fight was bound to be bloody, and I almost regretted choosing it, but life would go on. Just not necessarily mine.

Uriah was sagging quickly. He was bleeding more than I expected, and I learned that I had thrown the spear a lot better than I expected. Luna took on Marlin without my instruction, probably because she wanted to rid the District of someone who would betray their partner. I ran at Uriah, trying to look even more intimidating than I really was, and he grabbed my sword. All that did was slow me down and cause him some pain, as I quickly jerked it out of his hands, cutting them up. He picked up the spear I had thrown at him, and I stabbed him while he was bent over. _Wow, what a good decision, Uriah._

* * *

 **Luna Irika (18) D4F**

Marlin was a dirty traitor. He tried to leave us in one of our biggest times of need, and he tried to take some of our best supplies with him. He wasn't nearly as hurt as I was from the wolves, physically or psychologically, but he still decided to take our things and go. It was a nasty, rotten, terrible move, and I was going to do everything in my power to make sure he never made such a move again. I wasn't the most bloodthirsty of us Careers during any part of the Games. I wasn't even into being a Career. But that didn't mean I was going to just watch as someone tried to bring shame to our District.

I had a spear and Marlin had a knife. If I could stay outside of Marlin's reach, it would be an easy fight. I tried to stab him with my long weapon, and he ducked, like I expected. I kicked at his head, and he stabbed my foot. He didn't even bother going for a proper hit, instead going to hurt me. The Academy would never approve of an attack like that, favoring the type that I pulled, which was stabbing him deep in the shoulder. _Screw you, too._ My move caused a lot more damage than his, even if I could barely stand on one of my feet.

Pulling back from my spear, Marlin threw his knife at me, which was a terrible idea. He bent over to pick up another knife and I tried to stab him. He rolled out of the way, which knocked me down. My force still had to go somewhere, and suddenly I wasn't falling on something solid. My spear stopped me from falling all the way to the ground, but Marlin had the same idea I did. While I was getting back up he lunged forwards and stabbed me in the side, knocking me over.

We rolled. I landed on the bottom, quickly punching Marlin in the stomach. He curled over for a quick second, then stabbed me in the shoulder. It would have been the chest, but I hit his arm and threw off his aim. I punched him again, and he stabbed me again. I could see the ending if the fight continued like that, and it wasn't favorable for me. I hit him as hard as I could in the nose with the palm of my hand, driving up. His nose broke, and he stopped hitting me while his eyes watered up. I tried to roll out from under him, pushing all my weight to one side and then dropping, hoping that the sudden shift would throw him off of me. It did, but it also gave him the opportunity to pin me on my back.

Marlin did so, sitting on my back until he had a good hold on my hair. He pulled me off the ground and I elbowed, kicked, bit, and shrieked with everything I had. Annika rushed over to me, clearing the distance in a second, but Marlin's knife moved faster. He slit my throat and let me fall to the ground. I landed on the ground with a thump, trying to get up but knowing I was dead. I had time to see Marlin put his hands up and Annika back off. _Wimp._

* * *

 **First of all, I'm not sure if this was entirely clear, but Luna was calling Annika a wimp for backing off.**

 **Eulogies!**

 **11th Place: Uriah Chance - Stabbed repeatedly by Annika**

 **Uriah was cool. I liked his backstory, and how he worked for what he had. He was a nice tribute to have around, but I kinda needed to kill him. The split was bound to happen, and he seemed less likely to win than Marlin. Just now realizing that his preferred death was being betrayed by the Careers, so yay! Thank you NightCat for Uriah, who was good to write and great to develop.**

 **10th Place: Luna Irika (Eureka?) - Throat slit by Marlin**

 **Luna was something else. I didn't get too much of a feel for her, because I couldn't tell how serious of a Career she was - if she was playful or bloodthirsty. I decided playful but prideful, and that was her biggest fault. She wanted pride for her District, but Marlin didn't much care about that. Thank you FiresCatching for Luna, who was a cool character that added a lot to the story.**

 **At long last, the split has happened. Now things can get even more exciting.**

 **SOME NOTES:**

 **I won't kill your tribute just because you don't review. If I think you've stopped reading, I will kill them, because I want someone who's still around to have the Victor. It's not spite or anything, and reviewing doesn't guarantee you a Victor. PMing me now and then or reviewing once every sixth chapter could do.**

 **Sponsoring is a thing!**

 **Did I kill Fletcher? He's not in my document anymore but I don't remember killing him. Pretty sure he's still alive.**

 **BTW Fletcher's submitter, you should probably PM me his form again.**


	54. Baby It's Cold Outside

**Fletcher Kozlowski (18) D6M**

Two cannons fired in one day. That was more bad news for me. Again, I was closer to winning, but again, I was also probably one step closer to death. With any luck, it was the Career Pack splitting, and two of them had just died, but it was unlikely. I suspected that the Careers were on the hunt again, and that meant I had to move. The only place to go in a mountain Arena was up, just like I had been doing ever since the feast. In the couple of days I had had I had made good progress, but I still wasn't as far up the mountain as I wanted to be. I needed to be safe.

As I climbed, I kept a careful eye out for wolves. I suspected that they were short-lived mutts, used only for one big huzzah before being retired forever, but I couldn't rely on that. I was mostly unharmed from the giant epidemic, but that didn't meant I was ready to take on a wolf with nothing but the brass knuckles I still had from the Bloodbath. Sure, I could punch hard, but a wolf could do a lot of damage as quickly as I could get to it. Getting attacked out of nowhere wasn't worth the risk.

The days seemed to be getting colder. I wasn't sure why the Gamemakers were still so insistent upon hurrying up the Games, but I shivered more each day. My fingers were starting to get stiff, and my legs didn't respond as well as they used to. It was nothing that would kill me, or stop me from climbing a little bit higher, but it was an annoyance. When Reaped, I hadn't fully considered the Arena. I knew it would be scary and I knew it would be hard, but I didn't comprehend just how much pain, annoyance, and boredom there would be. Even with death nipping at my heels, climbing all day, every day, wasn't fun.

So I decided to take a break. Night was approaching quickly, and I had close to ten minutes before I had to make my camp for the night. I figured that ten minutes wouldn't be the difference between life and death, especially at the pace which I was climbing. I kneeled in the snow, slowly writing something out. My fingers screamed at me with each stroke, but the pain quickly faded as they went numb. I would revive them with my breath once I finished the message.

 _Hey there, hun. I miss you tons. Make sure to have a lot of food for me when I get back, okay? I'm hungry. Love you, and I'm coming back, xoxo, Fletcher._

* * *

 **Giovanni Cancri (18) D8M**

I was tired. It had been a lot of long, hard days in the Arena, and I hadn't gotten proper sleep in any of them. One of us had to keep watch at all times, even at night. When there were four of us it was no big deal, but now we were down to two, and it was exhausting. I could hardly keep concentration well during the day, much less at night, when I didn't expect to get attacked. The sudden cannons woke me up from a slight daze while we were climbing, due to the surprise of them and how loud they were, but a quick adrenaline rush did nothing for my overall health.

Climbing was wise, I had to admit. It was just also annoying and hard. My arms and legs were sore, even though the mountain wasn't very steep, and it was all I could do to stay awake. My stomach rumbled almost constantly, and I was thirsty despite being surrounded by snow. Demi insisted that it was bad to melt snow using your body heat, because the snow would cool you down as much as you warmed it up, and I trusted her. I was just also annoyed by that fact, because my throat was so raw I was somewhat expecting to cough up blood. All throughout that I tried to keep my head up, because keeping my head up was good, but it was getting pretty hard.

It got even harder when Demi suddenly coughed up blood. She just kneeled down on the ground and coughed, a small splat of foam and blood coming out. She kept coughing, sitting in the snow, and I sat down next to her. "What's wrong?!"

Without much breath, Demi couldn't very well reply to my question. Even if she could breathe, she probably didn't know what was wrong. She didn't show any signs of discomfort before she collapsed. She was just walking along with me, starting to consider eating snow to fill the holes in our bellies. That didn't really count as something that could mean she was going to collapse. She clutched at her chest, and I felt like I had heard of this thing before, but I didn't know what it was. Even if I did, I probably wouldn't have been able to stop it. I just got to sit there and watch as my ally slowly paled and slumped.

* * *

 **Tarabel Aspen (18) D12F**

Two cannons went off. A while later, a third one fired. Each of those was greeted with a quiet celebration from me. In my weakened state, I couldn't hope to do much fighting at all. If tributes were dying off from natural causes, or, preferably, killing each other off, I wouldn't have to fight anyone. They would just injure themselves and kill themselves until I won by not dying. It wasn't the most dramatic way to win, but I had to admit that it was better than not winning at all do to death. Even if one more fight could be nice before I had to go back to being a reasonably-normal citizen, I had had plenty of action for the time being. I needed to recover.

Recovering was not easy in terrain like mine. I was constantly shivering, and I was constantly hungry. I scraped up whatever food I could find, finishing off the meager gifts Tatiana's sponsors had provided, but it wasn't enough. Searching for food and simply keeping warm took as many calories as I could put in, and I could feel it. I was getting weaker each day, slowly starting to travel less and less far before I got to the point where just the thought of moving one more inch was unbearable. It was a terrible situation to be in, and it was hugely frustrating, but I had to deal with it until I could find the well-hidden solution. If everyone hurried up their deaths it would be lovely, but most people seemed intent on doing just the opposite.

If I couldn't get enough food by scavenging the way I was, I would have to try something new. I had two viable options, and I was going to try both. "Hey, could you send me some food? I know things are getting pricey, but it's not much for getting a Victor, is it?" That plan was less likely to be effective than the other, which was more risky. I needed to cover more ground if I hoped to find new food. I stood up and sprinted. It was an exhausting task, because sprinting is hard on the body, but I could hold it up for a while. I just had to hope I found a good patch of food.

* * *

 **9th Place: Demi Ryea - Pulmonary Edema**

 **In an Arena like this one, someone was bound to get pulmonary edema. Demi was the one that got it. I felt like I should break up the alliance, and Giovanni seemed like a stronger competitor that Demi. Pulmonary edema is actually not the worst way to go, just because it's so quick. She wasn't in pain for long at all before severe symptoms and death. Thank you to NightCat for Demi, who definitely was a contender.**

 **UPDATE FOR FLETCHER'S OWNER (Snowstar2): I can write Fletcher without his form. It is just more difficult and I cannot promise exactly what you might want, because I can't obsessively check his form while I write.**


	55. Gangrene

**Raze Hirohito (15) D6F**

In any biome, there was bound to be at least one fun thing to do. I had had a long couple of days, fighting wolves, hunger, and thirst, and I decided I needed a break. I was going to find the fun thing in my biome, which would be difficult on a mountain but far from impossible, and do it. Some people might see that outlook as optomistic, but it wasn't. I was tired and bored, and I needed something to do to get my mind off of how much my Arena stank.

I wanted to roll down the mountain and see how dizzy I got after rolling that far, but even I knew that was a bad idea. There were random cracks, edges, and sudden holes scattered across the mountain, and I was bound to hit one of them if I rolled down. I could roll down for a short distance, but there was no way I would be able to stop on a dime in the ice. I had to actually walk around to find my interesting thing, which an acceptable idea. It was just also an annoying one, since walking anywhere on a mountain filled my shoes with snow that made my feet cold and melted to leave them wet.

 _Now that's a good reason to get wet._ In front of me, down from a ledge I was standing on, there was a spring. The Gamemakers couldn't have known someone like I was going to get Reaped, but I did. I stripped off some of my clothing, leaving on a bra and underwear. I didn't want my clothes completely soaked, but I didn't want to give the Capitol a show. A bra and underwear was practically a bikini, so it worked. Then I ran for the edge of my ledge and dove into the water.

* * *

 **Fletcher Kozlowski (18) D6M**

So cold. It was so cold. I was climbing again after a long night. One cannon had gone off. One less person between me and the crown. I wasn't sure how much that mattered anymore. My fiancee had sent me some water, but I didn't want water. It was ice cold water. It also had a note and a small picture of her, but that hardly did anything for me. It was supposed to boost my spirits, but all it did was remind me of what I was missing because of the stupid Games. I was still cold. I was still tired. I still wanted everything to hurry up. It wasn't hard to die. Everyone could just lie down for a while too long and suddenly their breathing would slow and they would die. I didn't understand why tributes wouldn't just do that. It was easy. It was painless. It was everything I didn't have.

I was surprised so few people were dying. It was so cold, everyone should have been freezing to death. My fingers was just getting stiffer and stiffer, and each step was a huge effort. I was in pain each time I tried to move my fingers to grasp something, so much pain I almost stopped using my hands. I should have used them for support, but it hurt so much I didn't want to. Even my face was getting stiffer. I couldn't fake a smile if I was incapable of smiling.

My skin wasn't even the right color. It was turning blue and black. It hurt to touch, it hurt to move. I got annoyed with how much it hurt, and in my frustration, when I wasn't thinking exactly right, I tried to rip it off. Much to my surprise, it sloughed off with ease. I started bleeding, but my blood froze on my hand, forcing a quick replacement for a clot. That hurt even more than the skin on it hurt. My legs hurt more, and I stopped moving. I fell on the ground, slowly accepting my fate. I was in a mountain Arena, and the Gamemakers knew what they were doing. They were going to get their cold reward, whether or not it hurt someone else.

* * *

 **Marlin Hasvak (18) D4M**

I was cut up, bruised, and broken from my fight with Luna. To make matters worse, I had killed her. She tried to kill me, I repeatedly tried to reassure myself, but it never worked. I came into the Games expecting to kill, and I was getting what I wanted. It only hurt more to know that it was exactly what I had been trained to expect and achieve. I fought for the right to kill Luna, the lighthearted, happy girl who wasn't even supposed to be a Career. She didn't want it any more than I did, but she was the one that was dead.

The only good thing that came of the split was the endless supplies I seemed to have. Annika had backed off once I killed Luna, probably because I could do a lot of damage, even if I was more injured than she was. She would win a fight against me in the state I was in, but it wouldn't be worth the effort. I would be able to damage her to the point where she may as well be dead, because she would hardly be able to bandage herself up. I would die, but she wouldn't be far behind. She wouldn't be able to fight. I could take any other tribute, and I knew it, but I didn't want to. I just wanted to get bandaged up and fix myself, then return home.

Serena hardly seemed worth the effort of the Games I was going through. I loved my sister like life itself, but she was dead. There was no point in dying for someone that would never know the better. I couldn't even bring her the pride she deserved. I was going to win, and I would be given glory. Nobody would even remember Serena if I won. I got all the way to the top seven, just to learn that it was all worthless. My only reason to keep going was my own fear of death, and that was what everyone else had.

* * *

 **8th Place: Fletcher Kozlowski - Gangrene**

 **Fletcher was a fun character to write. He had a good, interesting backstory, good strengths, and fine weaknesses. I liked his personality. I just didn't see him as a Victor, and I haven't seen Snowstar anywhere. S/he may not be alive. Gangrene is kinda a terrible way to go, to be entirely honest, but I wanted it to happen to someone. Fletcher was so cold because as he went up the atmosphere thinned, like Gabriel and Falia were once warned of. Good job, Fletcher. Thank you to Snowstar for Fletcher, who was a well-rounded character for me to write.**

 **We're down to seven now, and I am thinning down choices for Victor in my mind. However, I want someone you like as well as me. Could y'all mention somewhere in your reviews another like/dislike chart for just these seven? It won't be the only thing I pick off of, but it'll give me an idea of who definitely shouldn't win and stuff.**


	56. In The Distance, Cannons

**Cassia Rose (D7Mentor)**

Denver was so excited to go into the Games. He wanted to see the beautiful Arena, and he got greeted by a desolate mountain. The Gamemakers didn't even grant a dying kid one last wish. Falia was another story. She never thought she was dying. Despite being fourteen, she thought she had a chance. She almost tricked me into thinking that, too.

* * *

 **District Seven**

We hardly noticed that Denver was gone. He was always leaving the heavily populated areas anyways, and most of them forgot that he wasn't going to come back from the woods at any time. The Cranes noticed, though they mourned mostly in silence. The main difference that they had was they pooled the money they no longer had to spend on food, because of help from others, and bought a cockatiel. We knew Falia was gone. She was louder, and the District had a hole without her. The Oakarms were shattered when she left, coddling Zalia more than ever and disappearing into their house. They would come back, but they would never be the same.

* * *

 **Flora Amfora (D9Stylist/Mentor)**

Gabriel was such a nice young man. He listened to my advice and tried to learn from me, even though I only told him how to get sponsors. He should have been in his District, searching for an equally nice young lady, courting her like the Dark Days. He shouldn't have been splattered on a mountain. Demi was a nice young lady. She matched Gabriel so well. They should have allied. She deserved a nice young man.

* * *

 **District Nine**

Gabriel and Demi were always quiet. They were polite, but they never left a strong mark on us. We didn't hate them or love them, but we let their parents think losing them was the worst thing that was possible. We knew it was to them. The Welsons coped surprisingly well, moving on after a week or so of mourning. We all suspected they were just putting on a strong face. The Ryeas weren't let off so lightly. Clover and Lilac never quite settled with the fact that their big sister wasn't coming home, and their parents didn't try to keep up the illusion that they accepted it, either.

* * *

 ** _Falia Oakarm_ (Nigella Coriander)**

I didn't know what could have happened to Falia. She ran away from the wolves; I saw it myself. She was so strong for her age that I couldn't imagine she just up and died. Something must have happened to her. I hoped that something wasn't still around.

* * *

 ** _Gadeloth Grinsley_ (Totsuki Sugihara)**

 _Someone took him out?_ I didn't know who could possibly take Gadeloth out, other than one of us Careers. Even the Careers didn't want to take him on, but someone managed to kill him. I had to assume it was someone, and not the weather. There was a real competitor out there.

* * *

 ** _Uriah Chance_ (Marlin Hasvak)**

Seeing Uriah's face in the sky forced me to remember every moment of that fight. My brain was being horrendously cruel to me about a decision I had to make. The split wasn't worth losing Uriah. He was the best ally I could hope to find in the Games, and he gave up his life to let me live. That was more than I would ever be able to say.

* * *

 ** _Luna Irika_ (Annika Knight)**

Luna was a great ally for me. She fought Marlin and hurt him so much that I would be able to take him down with ease once I found him. She gave me a good reason to hunt. I had to avenge the person that took my closest friend from me. I wasn't very close to Luna, but I had grown to like her. I didn't say that about anyone since my sister.

* * *

 ** _Demi Ryea_ (Giovanni Cancri)**

 _What even happened to you?_ Demi helped me so much in the Games. I cringed when I saw her face in the sky. She didn't belong up there. She belonged in Nine. She was helpful, despite all of my second guesses about her. She wasn't a terrible person. She cared, just like I did. She just didn't show it. I did.

* * *

 ** _Fletcher Kozlowski_ (Raze Hirohito)**

I didn't want to know what happened to Fletcher. He was so strong that whatever fought him could definitely fight me. His face in the sky made me remember just how mortal I was. It wasn't a fact I thought about often. Once Fletcher's cannon went off, though, there were only seven of us left. It was about time I learned what I needed to do.

* * *

 **Raze Hirohito (16) D6F**

Jumping into water off a mountain ledge may not have been my best idea. I was lucky in that I didn't immediately die by hitting a submerged rock, but the water was cold, just like everywhere else on the mountain. I was also out of clothes, because my clothing was high up on the ledge off of which I had jumped. I could climb back up without a problem, but I was going to be cold and wet until I reached my clothes. I would still be wet once I reached my clothes, which was a real issue. The cold drops of water were already freezing on my body, leaving me encased in ice.

An unsafe idea did not always mean a bad idea, though. It certainly was fun to jump into that water, and the sudden adrenaline the coldness gave me was a great break from the monotony of everything else. There weren't any fish in the water, or any living things at all, but it was still gorgeous down there. I opened my eyes without too much issue, which I regretted because it was cold, and saw a lovely landscape, completely changed from the rest of the mountain. Everything shined, and it was tinged blue instead of sharp white. Underwater was a different world from the land, and I was probably the only tribute to discover it.

 _Wait a second... Bottled water comes from springs._ I had been melting snow to get water, which was cold and awful, but I could just drink water from the spring and hope it wasn't poisoned. It probably wasn't, or I would have been at least somewhat damaged from what I accidentally drank and how much got in my eyes. Finding a spring was actually a good thing, although being cold most definitely was not. As soon as I had clothes on again, I could come down to the spring and be properly hydrated. My main problem became climbing all the way up the ledge to grab my clothes before freezing to death. Since I had to peel water off myself to take a step, climbing was not what it used to be.

* * *

 **Vanny Cancri (18) D8M**

Demi dying was absolutely heartbreaking. It was bound to happen to one of us at some point, but that didn't lessen the stress at all. What did lessen the stress was tons of pity sponsors. As a big strong man that was practically falling apart over losing an ally, lots of Capitolites seemed intrigued by me. One parachute came down as soon as Demi's face flashed in the sky, though I didn't notice it for a while. They had kept coming since then, and I was quickly becoming one of the richest tributes in the Games.

My first parachute contained barbecue chicken, which I assumed was properly cooked and ate without a second thought. The Gamemakers couldn't let me get salmonella from a sponsor gift. I also got lemon water, which was nasty. It should have been lemonade or water. However, beggars can't be choosers, and I was thirsty, so I drank almost half of my first container in one swig.

 _Food won't win the Games._ I noticed the writing out of the corner of my eye when I opened up my third parachute. It held some scissors, which were nice, but they paled in comparison to the sword which was also included. My hands hardly fit around the big sword handle, and I had to work to lift the sword, but that just meant that much more force when I got used to it. I slipped on the gloves in another box and found that I could still hold the sword, though it was no simple task, and I wasn't going to get frostbite right away. A box of matches was included, too, and I wanted to use them, but I had nothing to light on fire except my gloves. Somehow, that didn't seem like a good idea.

All my sponsor gifts provided me a good spirit booster, but it wasn't going to be enough to make me hapy. Even winning the Games wouldn't be enough, after what I had been through. It would be better than nothing, though. I had to keep living, or Demi died for nothing. I had to keep living, or the sponsors spent their money on no one. Even if I couldn't make myself win for myself, I could make myself live for them.

* * *

 **Nigella Coriander (18) D8F**

I needed food. I needed water. I needed shelter. I needed a lot of things if I hoped to stay alive, but most importantly, I needed to prioritize. I could not find food, water, and shelter all at once. I had to try and figure out which was the most important and go find that, and then I could get myself the other two things. A morale boost would be nice, too, but that was definitely fourth priority out of the four things. I could be sad and still live, but I could not die and enjoy life.

Seeing as people could die of frostbite quickly, and people had been dropping quickly, I assumed shelter was a good thing to find. Dehydration killed more quickly than hunger, but exposure could kill more quickly than dehydration in some circumstances. A mountain was one of those cirumstances. A mountain also had lots of ways to stop being exposed, and I was sure I could find one of those. The Gamemakers might even lead me to one. Frostbite was not nearly as interesting as a fistfight, and I couldn't get into a fistfight if I was dead. The Gamemakers wanted their ratings, and I would help them get them.

To find a good nook seemed like a good idea. Nooks kept me out of the wind, and I could fill them with my body heat, warming myself back up with the heat from myself. To find a nook in the mountain I should wander around strategically until one stuck out, as well as looking at any crack to see if it could possibly hold more than stuck out at first. Stragically looking meant spiralling like Careers did on the hunt, and examining every crack meant getting my fingers cold while hoping they didn't frostbite. I could do both of those things. It just might take a good amount of valuable time.

It didn't. I found a crack quickly and immediately dug at the snow surrounding it to see if it could fit me. I kept digging, scratching at the snow and wondering at how melted the snow seemed to be. The nook was a little bit warm, so I pulled away while examining it. I didn't pull away far enough, though. A force knocked me onto my back, growling wildly, and I learned that the Gamemakers never took their mutts out of the Arena. They just took them away from the Cornucopia and lef them to lie in ambush for anyone who wanted easy shelter.

* * *

 **Oh, you thought the wolves were gone?**

 **7th Place: Nigella Coriander - Mauled by wolf**

 **Nigella was fun to work with. Her love of emotion is not something I'm used to writing, so she was challenging and interesting for me to learn with. She had good strengths and good weaknesses, and her submitter really worked on giving her a chance. She did have a chance, and she lasted a long time. Just not to the end. Thank you Tracelynn for Nigella, who had a lot of good things to her.**

 **Also Nigella's form said she got attacked by a cat when she was younger, so now she's scared of cats. Now she's had dogs maul her. This kid's never gonna get a pet.**


	57. The Dark Knight

**Totsuki Sugihara (16) D2F**

While I was sitting around, minding my own business, and trying not to get killed by whatever the Gamemakers had lying around, cannons were almost constantly firing. It was weird heaing the deaths happen one after another. It made perfect sense that twenty-three of us would die, but it usually took days between deaths, or the deaths all happened in a row. It was never a death every couple of hours. However, here I was, hearing all of my opponents dropping without me even doing anything to speed it up.

 _Oh crud._ I was doing absolutely nothing, and doing absolutely nothing never ended well for anyone. Even the most boring tributes, who just hid throughout the entire Games, talked to the cameras or something to keep themselves alive. I was being boring, and that had to stop. I jumped up from my little camp, which was just a hole in the snow lined with my coat, and took my coat out of the hole. Flinging it onto myself quickly, I started walking aimlessly, zipping it up while I moved. I looked around for any cameras I could find to give a death glare to while I walked. _Not today, cameras._

Of course, I didn't really know what interesting things to do. In a forest Arena I could climb a tree, and I could pretend to fall out for some extra thrill. In a swamp Arena I could find a deeper part of the swamp and go swimming. In a mountain Arena, I could climb the mountain. That was just about it. I could also play with the snow, but most snow games were boring unless you had a friend. I did not have a friend, as was the case with most murderers.

I could only think of one snow game to play without a friend, and it was not something I wanted to do. It was childish, cute, and immature. A Career should never do it, unless they needed target practice. It was my only hope at not having the Gamemakers kill me, though, so I started making a big ball of snow. If I was going to make a snowman, I may as well make it huge. I rolled the first ball for hours, moving until I couldn't push it anymore from any angle. Then I worked on the next ball, and the last. My snowman was far taller than I was once I was done with it, and I was sore and exhausted, but at least it was something I could be proud of.

* * *

 **Annika Knight (18) D1F**

Unlike my unworthy nemesis, Marlin, I was mostly uninjured. While he was off being a coward and trying not to die, I was being a brave Career, like I was supposed to. I was hunting for anyone I could find, trying to thin down the crowd just a little bit more. There were six of us left, but I was going to make it five. Five would become four. I would just keep getting rid of us, one by one, until I finally won. The cold stank, and I was done with it, so I just had to kill everyone.

My main issue would be finding tributes. In the state I was in, with the training I had, killing them wouldn't be difficult at all. One swing of my sword and whups! Suddenly Alex doesn't have a head. I didn't intend to decapitate anyone, because a swing at that height and angle would be hard, but it would definitely be cool. I considered doing that to whoever was second. If it worked, I would win entirely epically, maybe even overshadowing Satin, and then become a legend. That would be worth a short waste of calories.

If I wanted to find tributes, I had to search. I had been searching for a long while, slowly scaling the mountain. There was a lot of ground for me to cover in an Arena as big as mine, but I had already covered a lot of it. I was spiralling, which was slow but effective. It was easier to find tributes in a snow Arena than other Arenas, because even if I missed them went I moved, I could see their footprints. Snow was a curse, but it had its pros as well as cons.

The pros quickly paid off. Footsteps in the snow led me to a hole in the the snow, which was occupied by a person. I poked the person in the back, since I recognized him. He and I would have a fair fight, because I wasn't a coward. It wouldn't matter how fair the fight was in the end for anything except my pride, but my pride mattered to me a lot.

* * *

 **Marlin Hasvak (18) D4M**

 _Well poop._ Someone or something was prodding my back. I had no way to know what it was with how I was curled in my fort, but I had to find out. It was probably a threat, so I had to attack it. I shifted slightly, getting one arm under myself while grasping my trench knife in the other. I bent down as low as I could and threw myself upwards, swinging my knife wildly as I rose. A shriek from my opponent proved to me that I had made contact, and I took her moment of confusion to gather myself.

"Annika?" I asked, confused. I didn't think she would attack me so quickly.

"Yeah! Jerk," she replied, swinging her sword at me. " _I_ have _pride_."

"I didn't know you were a Career," I spat back, wondering why I was defending myself. She clearly didn't have much pride, attacking one of her prior allies. I tried to leave her alone.

"What else would I be? A dog?" Annika yelled at me, swinging her sword into my arm. I hissed in pain, but siezed the moment and stabbed her in the arm.

"Maybe! This is the Arena," I yelled. I stabbed her in the arm again, this time greeted by another little exclamation of pain. She pulled her sword back while I dodged away, trying to greaten the distance between us. I quickly realized that was a bad idea, since she had the longer range.

Annika was trained as well as I was, so she would be able to see through most of my plans. I had to be unpredictable, which could be dangerous. I could pull it off, though, and I did it. I faked backwards and lunged at Annika's right side, gasping as her sword pierced my left. It got me close to her, and I didn't have too severe of an injury from it, so I dubbed it a good decision. I was actually too close to her, though, landing smack on top of her.

 _Gotta think fast._ Annika dropped her sword as soon as I was on top of her, knowing it was useless in such close combat. Her eyes prompted me to drop my weapon, too, since we were so close, but a small knife was still useful. Realizing that her attempt at deceiving me was futile, Annika grabbed my hair and pulled my face towards herself, biting my broken nose.

"Ow!" I couldn't stop myself from yelling. I pulled back and punched Annika in the face as hard as I could in response to her bite, not quite remembering that trench knives had brass knuckles on them. Annika shrieked when her nose shattered, and I took advantage of the situation. I punched her face and her throat, again and again, until she let go of my hair. As soon as she did that I stabbed her in the throat, killing her the same way I killed her ally.

* * *

 **6th Place: Annika Knight - Throat slit by Marlin**

 **Annika was a great character. She was actually my choice Victor for a while, because I really wanted her to find her sister. I had a whole story planned for her, but everyone else hated her, and I didn't really see how I would make her a decent Victor when the time came. I already have a villain Victor from One. Thank you Red Roses1000 for Annika, who had awesome backstory and a cool character.**


	58. The Sweet Potato of Life

**Tarabel Aspen (18) D12F**

Running like that proved fruitless. I burned a bunch of calories and got absolutely no food out of the deal. All it did was make my legs really tired and my throat more dry than was necessary. That didn't mean I wouldn't continue sprinting on occasion; on failed attempt did not mean a failed idea. It just meant a less-than-entirely successful idea. However, asking for presents worked out a bit. One lone parachute came floating down towards me, the flashing lights a sign of the life that I was preparing to give up. I didn't know what would be in it, but more likely than not it would be the food I so desperately needed.

I ripped open the parachute as soon as it reached me, sighing when the smell from the box hit my nose. It was two baked potatoes, bags of toppings crammed into the box beside them. I couldn't tell what every pack contained, but I quickly recognized sour cream, cheese, and bacon. "Thank you so much!" I screamed out, grateful that my sponsors had pulled through. I didn't even consider eating the toppings; I had to save those for later. Bacon would make a wonderful treat later on, when I was almost out of food. The potatoes were fair game, though, and I had full intentions of eating them immediately once I got my full use out of them.

Taking the packets out of the box and stuffing them down my shirt, I dumped snow into the box my gift had come in. Then I put my potato inside the box, smiling as the heat of the root melted the snow into drinkable water. Steam rose from my potato, hinting that it was cooling down as well as warming up the snow. Most likely accidentally, my sponsors had sent an item of multiple uses. The potato would never melt any more water; it was cooling even more quickly than the snow was melting. What little water I did get was more than enough to last me a while longer, though, and I was grateful for even the half-box of water I had from my melting escapades.

Finally having completely melted my food, I dug in. I only ate one potato at first, resting a couple of hours before consuming the next. I ate the second one more slowly than the first, recognizing how important it could be to savor what little food I had. I could have spread out the meal a bit more, but I still had the toppings, and it was important for me to have a full belly so late into the Games. Each calorie counted at that point, and I intended to make the most of them.

* * *

 **Raze Hirohito (16) D6F**

I hardly made it up the mountain. I was shivering to the point where I could barely walk, which was even worse than the stiffness had been before. I had to push for each step I took, pushing my body to the breaking point. That was a better option than stopping. My body wouldn't get up again if I went down; I knew that for certain. My body was already nearing giving up. My brain was the only thing stopping that from happening, and I didn't know how much longer my brain would hold up with nothing but false hope keeping it going.

Reaching my clothes was a miracle. I put them on as quickly as my shaky hands would let me; sighing as they slowly warmed up my body. I slipped my shoes and socks on, too, putting my socks on my hands instead of my feet. My feet were freezing, probably literally, but I valued my hands more highly. I could stand on stubs, but fighting with stubs would be nearly impossible. All I would be able to do would be clobbering, and I needed to be able to grab and scratch if I got into a fight against one of the better fighters left in the Arena.

Seeing a parachute floating towards me was like a gift from a god. I didn't know who decided to finally have mercy on me, but their mercy was a powerful one. The box underneath my parachute had a small packet of red liquid. I didn't recognize it at all until I noticed the instruction packet that was lovingly included. "Thank you," I whispered, my voice refusing to rise above that whisper. Then I grabbed the pack and squeezed it again and again, sighing in relief as it slowly warmed up. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

* * *

 **Marlin Hasvak (18) D4M**

I could still hardly believe that I had won. I had no business winning against Annika; she was completely healthy, and she knew everything I knew. I could see my shot at Victory growing. I decided that I really did have a chance. Only two more good fighters were left; Raze was an amateur fighter, and Giovanni had never fought a day in his life. Only Totsuki and Tarabel were in my way, and I assumed neither of them were in peak condition. It didn't make any sense to be in peak condition this late into the Games.

Then again, I wasn't exactly in peak condition either. Annika's sword had pierced me pretty badly in the fight. My lunge had been necessary; I didn't regret it at all, but I was unsatisfied with part of the outcome. I was bleeding a lot despite ripping my shirt and wrapping it around my wound, and I could tell that some real damage had been done. It hurt to move my chest or shift my arms, which were directly connected to my chest. Something had been ripped or torn, and it wasn't about to repair itself.

Even though I was less fond of the idea of killing than many Careers, I was going on a hunt. The other tributes were going to die whether or not I killed them right away, and it was only a mercy to stop them from living any longer than necessary in the terrible landscape that was our Arena. They had to be colder, hungrier, and thirstier than I was, which definitely had to stink. I kept repeating that as I tried to find another person to kill. I said that it was just another person that wasn't keeping me away from life, not another person that I was murdering. It wasn't really murder, just killing. Even though I had volunteered for it.

Blood started dripping through my shirt. It wasn't supposed to drip, though I had accepted soaking as a fact of life. It kept dripping, turning into a slow river, and that was when I recognized that I had to stop moving and fix that before hunting. I sat down and started putting pressure on my wound, trying with all of my might to keep at least some of my insides inside me. My hands were quickly getting paler, and I realized that the simple motion of walking had been ripping my wound open. I was in a bad situation, and it wasn't going to get better.

* * *

 **5th Place: Marlin Hasvak - Wounds from Annika**

 **Marlin was definitely an interesting character. Despite being a legacy character he had a real personality to him, even if it was really formed from his sister's death. He was a good fighter, and he took his only opportunity at winning. I realized that his victory had to take a lot from him, though, since I did mention Annika getting him. He was never my choice Victor; only gliding along, and so I chose to kill him now. Thank you aceswims for Marlin, who really was a great character. He made it a lot farther than Serena, and he definitely made his family proud.**


	59. Oh, I'm Boring?

**Note: Raze can win, despite being my sister's. It's _despite,_ not _because,_ because she could easily be fought against.**

* * *

 **Flora Amfora (D4Mentor)**

Marin impressed me with how far he made it. I didn't think he would make it any farther than his sister; he didn't show any more promise than she did. Luna impressed me too, because she showed so little interest in winning the Games. Her only interest was living, and simple will to live didn't win the Games. You had to have a will to kill.

* * *

 **District Four**

Four wasn't much different due to Luna and Marlin's deaths. Marlin was such a quiet person, always thinking about his sister, that we rarely noticed him, and Luna's life was always spent in the Academy. Her mother kept her there, and we knew it. The Hasvaks knew how to mourn a lost loved one, and they kept their head up, despite the sadness we could see was almost breaking them. The Irikas hardly seemed to notice that Luna was gone. The mother just quietly said that someone who couldn't win the Games wasn't needed in the family line anyways.

* * *

 **Satin Legrasse**

Uriah was an embarrassment to our District from the start. He wasn't our chosen tribute, and we didn't want him. Annika showed a lot more promise, but she never had her head in the game. I was sad to see such a promising tribute ruined by her past. I just hoped our next tributes would do better.

* * *

 **District One**

One changed drastically without Uriah or Annika. Annika was no longer spending her time scaring new Academy recruits away from training, and Uriah wasn't keeping the mayor's house in top condition anymore. The mayor was saddened, and he showed it. Uriah was cheap labor. The Chances mourned their son with the pride they raised him with, quietly acknowledging that something was wrong without making a huge fuss. The Knights reacted differently. Annika was the second daughter they lost with no hope of getting back, and the racket they raised in their house showed that they were devastated.

* * *

 _ **Nigella Coriander**_ **(Giovanni Cancri)**

I didn't know what happened to Nigella. I knew her from life in the District; she was a nice young lady. She definitely deserved the Victory as much as anyone else who was still in the Games did. She wasn't going to get it. I wanted to live before I knew she died, but seeing her go gave me an extra boost. I needed to bring Eight the victory that Nigella couldn't.

* * *

 ** _Annika Knight_ (Totsuki Sugihara)**

Annika never had a chance. She was always distracted by her missing sister; too distracted to be truly worried about winning the Games. She would be missed in One; I knew that for sure. She just wouldn't be missed by me.

* * *

 _ **Marlin Hasvak**_ **(Raze Hirohito)**

I couldn't believe I had outlasted Marlin. That meant there was only one Career I hadn't outlasted. I finally realized that I had a really good chance at winning when I saw his face in the sky. All these people that were stronger than me were falling, and I was still standing strong. I actually had a chance.

* * *

 **Totsuki Sugihara (16) D2F**

The Games were almost over. Yet again, someone had dropped. Yet again, I hadn't caused it. I was done with being boring, and I was done with just lurking. I knew the Gamemakers were bound to push me to drama if I didn't do something soon, but they wouldn't have to. If some extra excitement was being sought, I could provide it. It wouldn't take me a second thought before I ripped apart one more tribute, bringing it down to three, then two, then one. I would do what none of the other Careers had managed to do. I would finally do it right.

Sometime during the day, a garrote wire had floated down to me. It didn't have handles on it, which must have been a designing mistake, but I was also sent thick leather glove, which made my weapon of choice usable. I celebrated thoroughly when I got it, shamelessly dancing around a little bit and thanking my sponsors profusely. I could get my job done empty-handed, or with basic weapons, but with a weapon as great as that one it would be ten times easier. I just had to find someone to use it on, and suddenly there would be one less tribute in the Arena.

Finding a tribute in the Arena could be difficult, but it could only take so long. I had three opponents left, Raze, Tarabel, and Giovanni. Part of me hoped I would run into Giovanni, because I could expect him to be an easy kill. I didn't want to get injured unless it was necessary. The other part of me, though, hoped I ran into Raze or Tarabel. I was itching to finally get a good fight, and those two might actually provide it. I suspected Tarabel would put up a better fight, but I hoped to run into Raze. I didn't need an amazingly exciting fight. I just needed a fun fight.

I didn't have much control over who I ran into first. It could easily have been anyone. The tribute I saw just happened to be a girl, which meant it wasn't Giovanni. She just happened to already be considerably injured, and she just happened to be eating. I decided to wait to attack her until she was ready. There was no pride in beating someone that didn't know they were being attacked. I waited a little bit too long, and a parachute floated down to Tarabel. _It's on._

* * *

 **Tarabel Aspen (18) D12F**

I was chilling out, still eating my potato, when I heard a parachute falling toward me. I looked up to see that it was a huge parachute, big enough to hold just about anything that I could have considered asking for. I couldn't begin to guess what was in it; I had only asked for a bit of food. However, when I opened my parachute, I immediately whipped my gift out of it and spun around. I had received a scythe, and as late into the Games as we were, each gift had some meaning. My thoughts were proved correct when I saw Totsuki running towards me, bearing a weapon of her own.

 _Well then._ For once in my life, I had been minding my own business. What did I get out of the deal? A dangerous murderer putting me next on her list. I was injured and she was trained, so I wasn't expecting things to end very well for myself. However, that didn't mean I would give up. I had no business winning against Gadeloth, but I won. My weapon had a lot longer reach than Totsuki's, and I knew how to use that to my advantage. I really did have a huge advantage there.

While Totsuki ran at me, I whipped my scythe at her. She stopped running and dropped a second before it reached her, forcing me to hop backwards to keep her outside of my swing. I did that with some ease, though I was pretty sore all over. Totsuki reached out quickly, as if she was going to grab me, and I swung my scythe at her again. She tried to grab it, and I waited for the blood to start flowing. You couldn't grab a scythe without expecting to be damaged. Totsuki was, though, and I noticed that she had gloves on. _Well, screw me sideways._

Totsuki threw herself toward me, and I hit her with the handle of my scythe. Even if I couldn't cut her, I could damage her. She dragged her wire along my arm, ripping a large gash into my flesh. I screamed a little, then grabbed onto her arm and bit it. She bit me right back. We kept matching each other, blow for blow, but I decided to stop that. I dropped my scythe, shifting her weight from where it was supposed to be, and tackled her.

My plan worked. Totsuki fell to the ground with me on top of her. I swung my fist at her throat, hoping to smash her windpipe. She took her wire and sliced open my wrist. I pulled back, recognizing the danger there, and she sat up. She wrapped her wire around my throat, cutting off my air before slitting my throat. I had known from the beginning of the fight I didn't have a chance. Totsuki just proved it.

* * *

 **Giovanni Cancri (18) D8M**

A cannon going off signaled to me that I was in the top three. I came into the Games expecting to lose horribly. I was against a bunch of Careers, and I only had my age going for me against the other tributes. I didn't even know how to fight, but I had outlasted five Careers and one serial killer. It could be two serial killers at that point; I didn't know whose cannon had fired. If Tarabel was gone I was left with a Career and a fighter, and if Totsuki was gone I was left with a serial killer and a fighter. The other option was a Career and a serial killer. Even though I was in the top three my odds didn't look too great, but I wasn't going to lose hope. I had made it farther than anyone expected I would.

Another parachute floated down to me, holding a nice coat. I put it on over everything else I was wearing. Proper layers could be the difference between life or death in this Arena, and I was determined to have life. I was so close to getting out of the Arena and back home to where everything was warm, and where I would be welcomed as Eight's second Victor in a row, I could taste it. All I had to do was not die. I could pull that off.

I didn't know what to do. I couldn't go hunting, or I would probably run into someone stronger than me and die. I couldn't very well just sit around, or the Gamemakers would get tired of me and kill me. It took a lot of thinking, and hours drew long, but I figured something out. I sat down and began scratching things into the snow, not noticing the cold through my thick gloves. I carved in all of my ally's names, in order of death, and wrote _Thank you!_ underneath it in the best handwriting I could muster. I wouldn't have made it to the top three without my friends.

* * *

 **4th Place: Tarabel Aspen - Throat slit by Totsuki**

 **Tarabel was a great character. Her backstory was epic, and her sarcasm was great to write (and read, apparently :P). She could switch between hero or villain if I wanted her to. She was actually my choice Victor for a really long time, but her arc got completed, and I didn't see her pulling past what she had been through. Thank you namelessghoul for Tarabel, who was great.**

 **It's getting to be that time when I sponsor everyone so the final three is more exciting.**


	60. And We're Closer

**Bellerophon Steed (D12Mentor)**

I had nothing good to say of the savage that was Gadeloth. Normally I had some sense of pity for any children sent my way, but Gadeloth asked for none and deserved none. Someone like that actually did belong in the Games. I would miss Tarabel, mostly because she actually cared about my feelings. I was grateful that she let me leave Gadeloth's presence without seeming like a jerk, and I would remember her for saving me.

* * *

 **District Twelve**

Gadeloth was far from missed in the District. The prison guards were happy not to have to deal with him any more, and everyone else was pleased that he couldn't possibly escape and wreak havoc. Even the Grinsleys didn't do much mourning, though they were sad that a life had been lost. Tarabel wasn't missed by too many people either; nobody knew her, and those who did mostly met her sarcastic side. The mayor of Twelve knew he had lost something special, and the Aspens mourned her quietly. They said it was fitting, with how quiet she always was.

* * *

 _ **Tarabel Aspen**_ **(Raze Hirohito)**

So she was the one that fell. I assumed it was Totsuki that killed her; Giovanni wouldn't attack, and if he did fight her, he would probably lose. That meant Totsuki was hunting, which sent a shiver down my spine. She was a force to be reckoned with.

* * *

 **Raze Hirohito (16) D6F**

I was finally thawing out. I never suspected that I would have to think about something as odd as not being frozen, but I had. Kicking and screaming, I had successfully clawed my way out of the death that had been dangling in front of my eyes. Some people considered it brave to live, but I thought just the opposite. I was too scared to die, so I lived. It was an awful death that I had almost had, but it would remain an almost forever. My fingers could finally move without so much willpower I almost fainted, and I was strong enough to walk to the spring and get a bit of water. Whoever sent me that heat pack saved my life.

Heading to the spring to get a drink, I heard a cannon fire. It was exciting. That meant I had struck the top three, even though I could have died in the Bloodbath. I thought about all of the opponents I had defeated, none of them by actual fighting. I almost felt like a cheater, making my way to the top so easily. It didn't really matter how I won, though. All I cared about was living, which I actually had a chance at. Even if I was up against one Career and at very possibly one serial killer, I finally had a chance at what so many people thought to be impossible.

The water in the spring was cold. I saw it coming, but it was still a crisp shock just how cold it was. I almost had to laugh at myself for willingly putting my entire body in there, when I was unwilling to even drink it. I was almost tempted to warm it up with my heat pack. I wasn't sure how much heat was in the pack, though, so I couldn't risk using it for anything unnecessary. I needed to preserve my warmth.

A parachute floated down towards me, and I ripped it open greedily. It had a ti stick in it, which I pulled out and wrapped in my fist. I was definitely going to need that soon. I also had three large slices of supreme pizza, one of which I gobbled down immediately. The other two I decided to save until I needed them. I never knew when I was going to need those extra calories, so I wasn't willing to risk losing them just yet.

* * *

 **Giovanni Cancri (18) D8M**

Throughout the day, more and more parachutes came down to me. They held nothing but food and water, and while I would have preferred some sort of survival gear, I was excited. So many people were agreed, thinking that I actually had a chance at winning. Lots of the gifts came from the Districts of my fallen allies, and I assumed it was a show of gratefulness in response to mine. Their show was unnecessary, while I couldn't have lived without doing mine. I couldn't just forget my allies.

Even though I was getting so many gifts, which the Capitol was bound to find at least somewhat interesting, I had to keep moving. It was the top three, so the Gamemakers wouldn't allow inactivity for any period of time. I walked around completely aimlessly, hoping I wouldn't run into any tributes. I had a sword and some gloves, which would do something, but they didn't mean I would win against a boxer and a Career for certain. They just improved my chances.

Flashes of movement caught my eye while I walked. I slowly realized that more calm wildlife was appearing, such as bunnies and deer. I assumed the Gamemakers were trying to make the Arena pretty and sedate, so any fights would be a shocking change to the situation. I quickly tuned out the flashes, recognizing that those animals weren't going to hurt me unless I threatened them. I focused only on what was in front of me, because if I stepped on an animal it would probably assume I was attacking, and I didn't want to face off against a deer.

I heard a loud crunch behind me and twisted around, looking for whatever possible attacker had made the noise. The rabbits and deer were quieter than that. Nothing was to be seen, though, so I decided it must have just been one of the deer. A rabbit couldn't make a crunch that loud. I kept on walking, trying to figure out what I could do that could be considered interesting. One flash of light looked like clothing, and I whirled around with my sword held high just in time to stop a wire from tearing me open.

* * *

 **Totsuki Sugihara (16) D2F**

Giovanni spun around just in time to stop my wire. Safe to say, I was frustrated. I had been hunting the guy for a while, choosing not to overly-exert myself while entering the final two. He almost caught me once when my step was too loud, but somehow, he didn't notice me. I was thankful for that, but somehow, by what seemed to be a freak chance, he had noticed me. I couldn't kill him with one blow anymore, I would have to fight, and risk an injury. It was a risk I knew I was going to have to take, but it was rather upsetting when the Victory was so close I could taste it.

My garrote wire was still in one piece, mostly because I pulled it across the sword and away instead of letting it get sliced. I couldn't be certain of just how sharp my wire was anymore, but Giovanni didn't know how sharp his sword was, either. I figured the odds were pretty well stacked towards me, since I had plenty of training and Giovanni was trying to use a sword while wearing gloves. All the same, I was going to be a little bit careful. I couldn't let a silly mistake be the death of me.

Swinging his sword at me dramatically, Giovanni made the first move. I hopped backwards just far enough that the tip of the sword brushed against my shirt, then lunged forwards as soon as the blade was past me. Giovanni could still get me with his sword in theory, but I had made it a lot more difficult for any substantial damage to be achieved, which could very well be the difference between life and death. Giovanni seemed to register this change, and he took a step backwards. I matched him moving forwards, making it clear that running wasn't an option.

I swung my wire out toward Giovanni, angling it so it should have made a nice slice in his arm. Giovanni reared backwards and grabbed my arm before I could damage his, which put me in quite the dilemma. I couldn't slice very well with only one arm. Giovanni punched me in the stomach, and I grabbed his arm while he pulled it away from me. I could take a hit that weak without needing a break. I dug my nails deep into Giovanni's arm and felt his grip on my other arm weaken, giving me a chance to pull away.

Staring Giovanni down as intimidatingly as I could, I tried to think of another plan. Before I could, Giovanni kicked my knee. I glared at him and swiped at his leg, knocking him down. I almost laughed at how clumsy my opponent was right then; he almost landed on his sword. However, Giovanni was quick to respond to me, and he swung his sword at me while he was still down. I had to admit that that was a wise move, and it did me a good chunk of damage. However, it also allowed me to sit on top of Giovanni's chest while he was still swinging, and pin him to the ground. After that, it was a simple matter to strangle him until he died. My wire was still sharp; I was sure of that. I just didn't want to use it on him.

* * *

 **3rd Place: Giovanni Cancri - Strangled by Totsuki (Not Annika :P)**

 **Giovanni was a great character. He had a lot of backstory without being hugely complicated, which is not something every submitter manages. He was fun to write, because he wasn't weak or a Sue, and he let me get a lot of dialogue in. I didn't see him winning against either Raze or Totsuki in a fight, though, since they're trained and he was not. Thank you to Platrium for Giovanni, who really did have a good chance.**


	61. Finale

**Raze Hirohito (16) D6F**

One more cannon went off. _I guess I made it to the top two._ I quickly ate one slice of my pizza, not wanting to overload too much on calories before getting into what could be the last fight of my life. I had to find Totsuki, or she had to find me, in order to finish this thing, and the Gamemakers knew that. They wanted action now more than at any other point in the Games, and they wouldn't let us go long without it.

A line appeared in front of me in the snow, seemingly coming from nowhere. I followed it forward, knowing that it lead to Totsuki. Totsuki was bound to be doing the same thing, being lead to me. I almost wanted to hide and try and sneak attack my opponent, but there was no hiding in this Arena. My only hope would be hiding in a crevice, and there was no ease moving inside a little crack. Clutching my Ti stick tightly, I just hoped that I would be able to make the first move when the time came.

* * *

 **Totsuki Sugihara (16) D2F**

 _One more._ Only one more dead body was left before I could finally get the Victory I had clawed my way to. I was a bit beaten up from my fights, but I didn't think the wounds would amount to much in the actual fight. Some bruises were nothing compared to what damage I had been through in the past, and they were probably nothing compared to what Raze was capable of. They were just slight nuisances, nuisances that would disappear soon enough, just like all the rest.

When a line in the snow appeared, I knew I was supposed to follow it. That didn't mean I would. I definitely led straight to Raze, and Raze was coming straight to me. Let her. I wasn't going to trek across what could be half the Arena just to get into a fight well near exhaustion. I had all day to sit and wait, and catch my breath from my last fight. An exhausted opponent would even the playing field a bit more.

* * *

 **Raze Hirohito (16) D6F**

The line sure went on a long ways. There was only so much Arena to be travelled, and I was heading downhill, which was helpful, but that didn't mean that reaching Totsuki wouldn't take a while, even with a lead. I took my time. As long as I was moving at a reasonable pace the Gamemakers could say I was just providing some tension and not kill me, which was my main focus. Living was all that mattered. Once I was out of the Games I could focus on petty things, like morals and logic.

Turning past the curve of the mountain, I noticed a speck of color in the distance. It shifted slightly as I got closer, and an object whizzed past my head as I tried to approach. I stopped for a moment to examine it, wanting to make sure it was a comparably harmless projectile, and not a knife or spear. It turned out be a snowball, which was something I could deal with. I was reaching my opponent, and the battle was about to begin. I just had to cross a few more feet, and I would be able to get the action going.

* * *

 **Totsuki Sugihara (16) D2F**

 _Not cool._ It didn't take Raze very long to reach me, which meant she wouldn't be nearly as tired as I was hoping for. I could deal with that, but it would make the fight a bit more difficult than was necessary. I decided to keep life difficult for Raze as long as possible, and I threw a snowball at her. It slowed her down a bit, so I threw another, and another. I had all the snow that I could possibly use, and I knew how to use it.

All the same, Raze reached me, immediately beginning the fight. She ran at me and kicked me in the chest, taking me by surprise. I was expecting a punch, seeing as Raze was a boxer. I reeled back, taking some time to assess the situation. Raze wouldn't be ruined just because I got close to her. Her goal was to get close to me, which was my goal. That ruined everything.

* * *

 **Raze Hirohito (16) D6F**

As a fighter, it was my job to be unpredictable. Punching Totsuki in the face was entirely predictable, while kicking her wasn't something she would plan for. My one burst of surprise proved effective, letting me get the first powerful blow in and twist the fight in the direction of my victory. It also bought me time, because I could plan for as long as Totsuki was distracted by coming up with her own plan.

I wasn't going to use that time. Plans were useless. Your opponent would do everything they could to ruin your plan, which made perfect sense. Lunging across the three foot gap and punching your opponent in the stomach got some real damage in, and it was exactly what I did. It snapped Totsuki back into the present, ruining whatever train of thought she had been working on. While she bent down slightly I kneed her nose, taking every shot I could get.

* * *

 **Totsuki Sugihara (16) D2F**

 _Oh, so it's gonna be like that?_ Raze was fighting like a coward, attacking me while we were supposed to be sizing each other up. I could fight dirty, too, though I was thrown off a bit by my freshly broken nose. I couldn't let that slow me down for long, and I threw myself sideways, kicking Raze's side while I went. _You wanna fight dirty? Two can play at that game._

Raze was quick to respond to my kick, hopping sideways to minimize damage. She shot forward while I was gaining my feet, punching my arm. Something was wrong with how hard she was punching. I could tell that with ease. My arm and stomach hurt far more than they should have with only being punched once. That meant Raze had a weapon, so I had to fight smart. I lifted one leg off the ground, making it look like I was about to kick, and laughed while Raze tried to swipe me. I stayed on my feet, but Raze was off balance.

* * *

 **Raze Hirohito (16) D6F**

 _Well crud._ I tried to swipe Totsuki, taking advantage of her terrible move, but she stayed on her feet through what must have been magic. She knocked me down while I was moving, and I had to move out of the way, sticking one arm out so I rolled instead of landing flat. It hurt my wrist, but it proved to be a good move when I heard Totsuki drop onto the ground where I should have been.

Totsuki got on her feet as quickly as I did, but that didn't really matter. As important as being well-grounded was, it was also important for me to get as much damage in as possible. I lunged forwards, almost falling before I managed to get my leap in properly, and punched Totsuki in the nose again. I had been aiming for the cheek, since that was the easiest target of the face, but Totsuki dodged, letting me hit her broken nose for the second time. _Why on Earth would you do that?_

* * *

 **Totsuki Sugihara (16) D2F**

Raze definitely did know a lot about fighting. Had she gotten my jaw I would have been thrown off a lot more than most places on my face, and I had to accept the painful blow to my nose to avoid being messed up for the rest of the fight. I grabbed her arm and pulled her toward me, digging my nails in as I did so. I smiled when blood started to come from Raze's arm. I needed that extra bit of pain to slow Raze down.

While being pulled toward me, Raze tried to punch me again. I let it connect with my ear, since dodging any farther would have thrown me off balance. My ears rang from the blow, and again I noticed just how inhumanly strong Raze's blows seemed to be. Then I punched Raze in the jaw as hard as I could, noting just how much she reeled.

* * *

 **Raze Hirohito (16) D6F**

 _What the hey?_ My head spun when Totsuki hit me. My vision got a little blurry, then very blurry, and my onle clear though was that I should pull away from my opponent. I tried to do that, but Totsuki pulled me right back toward her again. Being entirely foggy in the head didn't mean that I was going to give up, and I didn't. I wrapped myself around Totsuki, hugging her tightly to me. She couldn't punch me properly in that position, and that would buy me time.

A piercing pain suddenly came in my ear. I pulled to the side a bit, slowly processing a bite mark on my ear. Totsuki must have been really desperate if she was willing to give up all pride and fight completely dirty, and that gave me a small flash of hope. That hope was shattered when I felt a sudden strong force, and then saw the ground coming toward me.

* * *

 **Totsuki Sugihara (16) D2F**

Apparently, Raze didn't know quite as much about fighting as I had planned for. It was a miracle for her that my punch hadn't knocked her out entirely, but that miracle didn't end up mattering. No matter what Raze did, I was determined to win. Even when I was pinned to her, I still knew what to do. It was a simple matter to knock Raze off balance, and by suddenly pulling to the side I could knock her down. Even better, I got pulled down with her, which meant I was on top of her before I could do anything.

Part of me wanted to strangle Raze just like I had Giovanni, but I knew she was too dangerous for that. I slit her throat, each second that my somewhat-dulled wire took to slice through her flesh making me panic more and more. Raze was still punching me, even if she couldn't get much force with how close we were together. I added more and more pressure to the wire, almost crying when I finally saw blood come. I never thought an outer-District kid could be that hard to defeat, but I did not want her getting back up again.

* * *

 **We're finally done! It's been a long journey, but I'm really happy with this outcome.**

 **Fun fact: Punching someone's jaw actually can knock them out. I've been waiting for many chapters to have this bit of knowledge I learned while writing this story to com into play.**

 **2nd Place: Raze Hirohito - Throat slit by Totsuki**

 **Raze was a great contender. She was a kind of last-minute submission by LCS, made when I had to scramble to fill in one last slot, and LCS pulled through. Raze was great, because she was a fighter, but not overpowered. Also, her lack of thought meant I could do a lot of fun things with her, and she really brightened up the story. She was actually almost my choice for Victor, just because she was so cool. Tons of thanks to LCS for Raze, because you made me a great character even though at the time you thought I would kill her just for being yours.**

 **Victor: Totsuki Sugihara**

 **Totsuki was the first tribute that was submitted to this story. Her entire form was submitted during Trapped. At first I laughed a little at it, but then I realized she was actually pretty cool. She had a lot going for her, and she wasn't a goody-two-shoes. Her submitter made a villain, even though I don't always like villains. Totsuki turned out as less of a villain and more of a determined competitor, but she was still great to write. She was strong while not unrealistic, and her biting sarcasm will definitely provide a good amount of fun. Thank you I-really-hope-not for Totsuki! She'll definitely make an interesting mentor.**


	62. Coronation

**Probably only one more chapter after this! Just an initiation.**

* * *

 **Totsuki Sugihara (16) Victor of the 19th Games**

I woke up in the hospital bed and sat up immediately, breathing heavily and looking for my garrote wire. I had Raze's ti stick in my hand, and I grasped it tightly. I had been conscious while the hovercraft came to get me, but I had been unconscious while I was strapped into a hospital bed, having various wires plugged into my body. None of them were plugged in anymore, but there was still a clip on my finger. It took me a couple of seconds to recognize my surroundings, and my heart and breathing sped up while I sat there, long enough for a nurse to run into my room.

"Is everything all right?" the pretty Capitolite asked me, kneeling down to check my vitals.

"Everything's fine. I just got scared," I replied, wanting the nurse to leave. I wanted to be alone in my room and consider everything that had happened to me, now that I was recovering from a bloody fistfight.

The nurse seemed to take my cue, and he walked away, inviting someone else in. I propped myself up on my eyebrows, dropping my stick. I didn't need it in the hospital. Shale walked in and stood beside my bed, keeping some distance between us.

"I'm not going to hurt you, or anything. I'm supposed to make sure you adjust well and all that, but you trained for this, so you're probably fine. I figured you could use this, though," Shale said, handing me a mirror. I took it and took a deep breath, then looked into it.

I looked like a fighter without the Capitol touching me, and the Capitol seemed to recognize that. My face was slightly pointier, and my eyes were slightly larger than they had been, but those were the main differences. I felt my cheekbones, in awe of how the Capitol had managed to change that without leaving any visible marks, before I noticed that I probably had entirely new skin.

Shale stood beside me while I looked, then offered me something. "I figure you still want your wire. Most Victors keep the weapon they had."

I took the wire from Shale and stood up. It was dulled, and I assumed the Capitol had done that while I was unconscious. I picked up the stick, too, then stood up. "I suppose I have places to be," I said calmly.

"You do," Shale replied, leading me out of the room. I wobbled slightly when I walked, noticing that my legs were a little bit longer than they had been. I could handle that. Shale led me down a long hallway and to a stage, where Marcelene was waiting for me.

"Here's our newest Victor! Welcome back, Totsuki. We're not surprised at all to see you," Marcelene said, motioning for me to sit.

Shale held back from the stage, waving goodbye while I sat. "I'm not surprised, either. I knew I was coming home from the beginning."

"Of course you did! You were more than prepared. Would you like to see what action you missed out on during various parts of the Games?"

"Of course I would!" I smiled, hoping it didn't look fake. I had been around for a lot of the action the Games held.

The recaps flashed on, and I watched, slightly curious about the loose ends I had missed out on. My main curiosity was how Tarabel had defeated Gadeloth, because she was certainly beat up when I met her. The recaps mostly focused on deaths, spending some time on the various cases of hypothermia while preferring to look at the feast. I sat stone still throughout the entire thing, remembering how scared some tributes seemed and trying not to do that.

"That was quite exciting! You sure won your Victory," Marcelene yelled out. "And now we welcome President Ginger!"

I turned to see the President walking toward me. It was my first time meeting her in person. She wasn't a scary as some Victors said she was, but I could see how she could be considering intimidating.

"Congratulations," Ginger whispered to me, placing a crown on my head. It was a simple round shape, mostly white. There were some splatters of red on it, though, and I knew what it would remind me of. What would have scarred some tributes made me proud. That red was blood.


	63. Victor Initiation

**Totsuki Sugihara (16) Victor**

After the coronation was over, I went to my room. I didn't really know what to do with myself, now that training was unnecessary and I couldn't fight people anymore. Everything I had done in my life had led up to one big moment, but that moment was past. All I could really do was think about things, and that wouldn't keep me entertained for long.

"Ready for some real fun?" Shale asked me as she walked into my room. "It's about time for your initiation."

"Initiation?" I'd never heard of that. I thought the Coronation was all I got for being a Victor, along with some pride and dough.

"Initiation. We always do something for new Victors, so they're part of the family. Rybbon made a quilt, but I think you'll probably do something a bit more brutish. Technically, the other Victors expect me to choose something for you, but you're not exactly like me. I figured I'd ask you for ideas."

"What type of initiations are there usually? What am I supposed to do?"

"It can really be anything. For all us Victors care, you could just get blackout drunk. It's whatever you want. Generally it's something meaningful, and something that has to do with the Games, but to each their own." Shale sat down on my bed after saying that, letting me think.

I sat there with Shale for a long time, trying to figure something out. I wasn't really a deep, meaningful person. I didn't know what to do. If it wasn't something cool it would ruin my reputation, but I wasn't certain I was ready to do something crazy quite yet.

"I think I have an idea," I told Shale, grabbing for my wire. I rubbed my finger along it, unsurprised to find it too dull to be used for anything other that strangling. I picked up Raze's ti stick, too, and turned to Shale. "Does it have to be exerting?"

"No! I just said that Rybbon made a quilt. It can be calm."

"Then get the Victors together!"

"They're already together. They've been waiting for you," Shale told me, a joking glare in her eyes.

"Oh. All right. Then can we just make some jewelry? It's kinda dumb, but not like, friendship bracelets, or anything. I just have a plan."

"Of course! We do whatever we want. It'll take a bit for us to get things together, but sure."

Shale left after saying that, taking her Victors with her. I sat in my room and waited patiently, occupying myself by counting the seconds until she returned. I counted to three thousand before I lost track, which I thought was pretty good. Shale came in not very long after I lost count, carrying something, trailed by each Victor, each with their own item. "Let's build."

I found myself being led to a dainty Capitol room, with blue and pink walls, and cushions everywhere. It was more peaceful than I was used to, but anything other than white was pretty welcome.

I looked at what each Victor had brought with them. Shale had a little porcelain flower, and Rybbon had a rope. Satin had a satin ribbon, and Talaysa had a glass snowflake. A Capitolite took any solid items from us, offering to drill holes in them, and offered each of us a string. Rybbon, Satin, and I declined the offer, holding our items tightly.

When the Capitolite returned with our charms, each of us got straight to work putting charms on our strings. Rybbon was the first to get her charm on, muttering something about threading a needle. She kept putting charms on, her charms flowing like water, while I struggled to get mine on.

"Here, let me help you," the Victor I thought was Harvest offered. "We're supposed to be bonding, anyways." I let Harvest take my string from me, surprised at how easily he worked with the wire. "Want me to help you put it on?"

"Where'd you get the charm?" Cherry asked me.

"In the Arena. I kinda grabbed it without really thinking," I said, laughing a little at my own nonsense. I didn't regret grabbing the stick. It made perfect sense as a charm for my necklace.

I turned around, allowing Harvest to put the necklace on me. He tied either end of my garrote wire together, practically turning my necklace into a choker. I thought it was fitting. Looking around, I noticed that each of the Victors had something to commemorate an ally and their Arena. I never had an ally in the Games, but my charm certainly symbolized the girl who had been the most important factor in my Games. Raze actually forced me to grow, and to feel fear for the first time in forever. I was happy I had felt that. Losing touch with emotions was useful for the Games, but not for life afterward.

* * *

 **Whew! This was a Games long in the making, but I think it was exciting. Totsuki will be interesting in the future, I'm certain. It's great to finally have this done, and I'm currently working on the form and overview for my next story!**


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